The actor who played Michael Oher in The Blind Side has responded to the NFL legend’s shocking claims that the Tuohys lied about adopting him and tricked him into signing a document that would prevent him from making money from the movie. $300 million.
The Blind Side – which premiered in 2009 and starred Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw and Quinton Aaron – followed a well-to-do white couple named Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy who took in a homeless black teen named Michael and helped turn him into one of the most successful football stars in the world.
The heartwarming story captured millions around the world, mainly because it was supposed to be based on true events – but the wholesome image it created was shattered this week when it was revealed that Michael, now 37, was suing the Tuohys, now 63, because he allegedly did not let him profit from the film.
Now Quinton, who played Michael in the beloved film, has responded to the ‘heartbreaking’ news to DailyMail.com – as he revealed he had only met Michael once after filming had already wrapped.
The actor who played Michael Oher in The Blind Side has responded to the NFL legend’s claims that the Tuohys lied about adopting him and prevented him from making money from the film
It was revealed this week that Michael sued Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy (seen) — 14 years after the story of how they took him in and turned him into an NFL star inspired the movie
Now Quinton Aaron, who played Michael in the film, has commented on the ‘heartbreaking’ news to DailyMail.com – as he reflected on making the film
He claimed that the athlete never showed up on set, while the Tuohys visited him numerous times – and suggested that in the future “all parties relevant to the story” would be “involved” in the making of the film from the start. .
“I’m really excited to be a part of telling your story in this industry and trying to be as hands-on as possible in the process is definitely the way to go,” he said.
“I’m not blaming anyone or saying anyone should have done this, or anyone should have been there.
“I’m just saying, look, go ahead, I feel like if there’s ever a situation like this, in a way to prevent something like this from happening again, I think all parties relevant to the story should be involved. in making the story from beginning to end.’
He said he first met Michael four years after the film came out, at an event in 2013, adding that he “didn’t have much to do” when it came to portraying him.
On the other hand, he revealed that Sean and Leigh Anne “visited” the set “a few times” and even dropped by “once or twice” after everything was done and they were in post-production.
The actor, 39, added that everyone involved “knew that some of the details” in the film didn’t add up to what was happening “in real life”.
“They usually do, you know. Have you ever read the Hobbit books? But then when you watch the movie, there are some differences,” he continued. “Sometimes you expect Hollywood to do its thing.”
He claimed that the athlete never showed up on set, while the Tuohys visited him on numerous occasions. He can be seen in the film together with Sandra Bullock
The actor, 39, suggested that in future ‘all parties relevant to the story’ will be ‘involved’ in the making of the film from the start
He added that everyone on set “knew that some of the details” in the movie didn’t match what was happening “in real life.”
In his lawsuit, Michael claimed he had been led into believing that the Tuohys had adopted him, but only recently discovered that they were actually his custodians, meaning they could legally conduct business interests on his behalf.
He berated the couple – who have an estimated net worth of $75 million – for using his story to gain massive wealth, claiming they had not given him a penny of the profits they made from the $300 million blockbuster.
Quinton called Michael’s allegations “heartbreaking” and explained that he “understood” that Michael and the Tuohys had a good relationship until the news broke Monday.
“It’s been crazy, I don’t really know how to put it into words,” he said. ‘I personally don’t know anything about this,’ I heard when I saw the articles yesterday.
“But now that I’ve met both sides, my heart naturally breaks for the situation. I, like everyone else, was under the impression that the family was good all these years.
So it was just heartbreaking to see that article and my prayers go out to everyone. I hope it works out for the best. I hope they can come up with a solution that makes (everything) better.’
He also defended his costar Sandra, 59, who has received a ton of criticism for her involvement in the film in the wake of Michael’s accusations.
Some social media users even said that the star, who won the Academy Award for Best Actress thanks to the role, should “give her Oscar back.”
In his lawsuit, Michael (seen with the Tuohys) claimed that he had been led into believing that the Tuohys had adopted him, only recently discovering that they were actually his custodians.
Quinton called Michael’s allegations “heartbreaking” and explained that he “understood” that Michael and the Tuohys had a good relationship until the news broke.
He also defended his costar Sandra, 59, who has received a ton of criticism for her involvement in the film in the wake of Michael’s accusations.
But Quinton urged fans to keep her out of it, especially as she’s still mourning the death of her longtime partner, Bryan Randall, who died last week at age 57 after battling ALS.
“Sandra just had a loss and everything, so I’m pretty sure she’s probably trying to stay out of the spotlight and handle her situation the best she can,” he said.
Quinton urged fans to keep her out of it, especially as she continues to mourn the death of her longtime partner, Bryan Randall (seen together in 2018), who died last week at age 57 after battling ALS
“I’ve heard some pretty disturbing things people say about her, and I don’t stand by that.
‘Leave her alone. Don’t come for my mother. I’m six feet tall, over 1000 pounds, and you don’t want that trouble.’
The Tuohys have denied Michael’s allegations, while Sean the Daily Memphis that they are “devastated” by even the thought of “making money off one of their children.”
He also claimed that the conservatory was drafted years ago to ensure Michael’s eligibility to play football at the University of Mississippi.
The suit alleged that the conservatorship allowed the Tuohy family to negotiate a deal whereby they — including their two children — would receive royalties from the film, specifically $225,000 each, in addition to 2.5 percent of the “defined net proceeds.”
Michael has asked for an end to the conservatory, as well as a court order that would stop them from using his name and likeness.