Wow, there are a whole lot of declarations going on here about what Michael knew. I don’t understand how anyone can possibly state what it is that Michael knew, especially if he is saying something different. Quite often, young people will just believe something an adult has said, particularly if it’s someone they trust, and they keep repeating it.
My older son is a very brainy software engineer, and I have to nag him to pick up his mail every few months to make sure he doesn’t have anything important in there. Hard to believe I still need to do this, he was brought up understanding this (I thought), and it’s basic common sense. But I don’t know what he’s thinking, what is going on (or not) in his brain, and I’m his mother.
It sounds like you are trying very hard to give the Tuohys the benefit of every possible doubt.
I read all three books and I’ve adopted a child and worked with kids in foster care. They know the difference. Oher doesn’t deny most of the book or movie, just didn’t like that he was portrayed as stupid (his view, not mine), especially about sports. I don’t think he was portrayed as stupid but as lacking formal schooling (which he was) and as a kid who was harmed by the foster care system. I do think the movie cut out all his great athleticism in basketball, but it was in the book. Movies can’t include everything in a book or they’d be nine hours long.
The Tuohys aren’t faultless, but I don’t think they set out to hurt Michael or trick him or steal his money. I don’t even think they set out to get him to Ole Miss, but by the end they certainly were ‘boosters’ and that’s when things were muddied. Remember, he only lived with them for spring of his jr year and then for his senior year. They did the conservatorship in Dec so he could sign the NLI in Feb of senior year and he hadn’t been with the a year.
But say they did intentionally deceive him. What is he going to show were his damages in any law suit? What were his losses and can he prove them? He was already going to college at Ole Miss when the book was released (not a best seller) and he was already in the NFL when the movie was released, so he had his contract. He did claim in his book (I think the second one) that he thinks he fell some draft spots because owners and scouts read the book, thought he was stupid, and didn’t think he could learn the plays in the NFL. Hard to prove that anyone on a team read The Blind Side before the draft or that it made him fall on the board.
I think he had a very hard youth and was very street smart and hard working to get through high school, college and to the NFL. I truly wish he were happier about his story, but I don’t think if the Tuohys had legally adopted him he’d be happier.
If he fell in the draft, then he was lucky to be drafted by the Ravens. A team with a stable and long term coach and GM (who was Ozzie Newsome at the time) who drafted 2 hall of famers in his first draft. Not a bad team to fall to. With a future hall of fame GM and coach imo.
I agree with your assessment and am also a bit confused about the continued lawsuit. But it’s his right to continue the lawsuit. Wonder if there has been any settlement talks.
“In August 2023, Oher sued Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy to end their conservatorship over him and prevent them from using his name and likeness. Oher is also seeking money damages and a full accounting of any money earned off his name, likeness, and story for the last 19 years.”
The conservatorship was ended in Sept 2023 (one month after the suit was filed). They are doing a full financial report (which is the right thing to do to end a conservatorship that never should have been filed). But ANY money, so he wants it all even though it was Leigh Anne’s speeches and time that earned that money, and he earned money giving speeches for the foundation too)? And it was the Tuohys story too, so should they not be allowed to sell their story?
I think legally Oher is not going to be able to show that the Tuohys made millions off the book or movie.
This entertainment lawyer explains how it works. Michael Lewis said he was paid $250k for the movie rights, and he split that with the Tuohys, who then split it 5 ways, 1 share for each Tuohy, 1 for Oher). The studio agrees with that. Oher says the movie made $300M and the Tuohys made $50M, and the studio says that isn’t correct. The $300M is gross and the net is much (much) less.
How should this be resolved? How much money should the Tuohys pay Oher, if anything? I think he asked for $15M before he sued. If it isn’t about the money, will he just accept an apology and an agreement not to give speeches or sell his books at events?
Both parties to this lawsuit have plenty of money.
For sure money often stands for something else: e.g., the suit against Trump by E. Jean Carroll. And (again, IMHO) I believe this suit stands for some very deep feelings of betrayal.
It is clearly all about the money at this point. The Tuohys have done what he asked, removed the conservatorship, stopped calling him a son, etc. They had no standing to change the book or movie or amount anyone was paid for the story. What is left? Money.
My guess Michael and his relatives have blown through his NFL earnings. I am not sure what his vocation is now, but probably does not give him the lifestyle the family would want.
It’s not true. And I love when people claim the Tuohys stopped calling him “son”. Her IG account says she’s the mother of 3 and everything to do with her still alludes to his being adopted.
He made about $34 million in NFL salary. He talks about his earnings and purchases in his recent book. It is estimated his net worth is about $12 million (some estimates are as high as $25M). He lives in Memphis and has 2 children and 2 stepchildren, and married his long time girlfriend about 2-3 years ago; they’ve been together since college.
I think Oher did better than many NFL stars in managing money. He bought a few cars, but I don’t think he spent a lot of money on other toys or vacations. I think now he has his NFL pension, his book money, and maybe some speaking engagements for income. It’s not Tom Brady money, but not bad.
Speculation on my part but public information from magazines and podcasts are not very reliable. I am not a lawyer but his lawsuit does not seem to have much merit. Not discounting that he is unhappy with the movie/book portrayal and that has led to some emotional issues for him. But not sure who is giving him advice to continue down the lawsuit path… it certainly will not fix the past.
There was a need to file a motion to close the conservatorship (which was granted within a month of his filing). He asked for a financial accounting for the last 19 years which if granted would take a long time to review all records and may include all of his records too, all his contracts in the NFL and book contracts, maybe other financials like his bank accounts. Technically, ALL that should have been run through the conservatorship but none of it was as neither the Tuohys nor Oher treated it like a conservatorship once he entered college (and got by the NCAA booster rule). He’s asked for an accounting of all the money the Tuohys made off Oher’s name, image, and likeness and that would all be tied to the foundation Leigh Anne started, the Tuohy’s book (2010), and maybe other public appearances.
It isn’t going to be a quick financial review if the judge says it is all fair game for review.
I think the court is going to limit it to payments to the Tuohys from the book and the movie, that should have been run through the conservatorship at least while Michael was in college, but after that, once he was signing his own contracts and once he had hired his own attorneys (circa 2009), the convervatorship was ignored by Oher and the Tuohys and I think a court could rule it was inactive and ended at that time. His attorneys and agents ignored the conservatorship in 2009 when he was signing million dollar contracts.
Getting the Hollywood lawyers involved isn’t going to be a smooth ride either. They fight everything.
