- The long legal battle between the subjects of 'The Blind Side' continues
- Oher thinks he was cheated out of $50 million, but demanded $15 million from them
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The long-running legal battle between former NFL offensive lineman Michael Oher and the Tuohy family took another turn when documents alleged Oher attempted to extort the Tuohys.
Oher's story was documented in the novel-turned-movie “The Blind Side,” but he claims the family at the center of it pocketed his share of the royalty checks.
Documents filed by the Tuohys (obtained by TMZ) say Oher demanded $15 million in unpaid royalties from them and said he would defame them on social media and/or TMZ as “fakes” and “thieves” if he wasn't paid.
These documents include multiple text messages from Oher claiming he was “robbed of over fifty million” before lowering his final offer to $10 million.
Oher wrote in another text: “If something isn't resolved by Friday, I'll go ahead and tell the world how I was robbed by my supposed [sic] parents. That's the deadline… Think about what it will look like when it comes out.”
Tuohy family suggests Michael Oher, 74, extorted them for 'Blind Side' royalties
Oher believes he was defrauded out of $50 million by the Tuohys, but has lowered his demands to $15 million
Sean (L) and Leigh Ann (R) Tuohy have since last week removed references to Oher as their adopted son from their website, as well as public speaking materials
After initially rejecting the ten million dollar demand, Oher replied, “It was ten million.” Now I want 15, after taxes.”
Documents filed by the Tuohys allege that they and Oher each received identical amounts of $138,309.90.
The Tuohys say they feel Oher is their son, despite his “vindictive and baseless legal and reputational crusade against them.”
The family never legally adopted Oher, despite claiming in the book that they did.
Last week, the couple officially removed all references to Oher as their adopted son from their website, as well as any public speaking materials they had.
Oher and the Tuohys entered into a conservatorship agreement in 2004, when he was 18 years old. A judge in Shelby County, Tennessee, ended the conservatorship in the fall, but the fight for money from the film and Oher's story is an ongoing process.
Oher claims the Tuohys used his name, image and likeness to enrich themselves and kept him in the dark about financial transactions related to him and his story.
Oher had previously asked that the judge prohibit the Tuohys from using his name, likeness and likeness to make money.