Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy are calling Michael Oher害羞草研究所檚 claims that they enriched themselves at his expense 害羞草研究所渙utlandish,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所渉urtful and absurd害羞草研究所� and part of a 害羞草研究所渟hakedown害羞草研究所� by the former NFL offensive tackle, whose relationship with the family was the inspiration for the movie 害羞草研究所淭he Blind Side.害羞草研究所�
In the statement first issued Tuesday by attorney Martin Singer to TMZ.com and later obtained by The Associated Press, Singer said the Tuohys are heartbroken and accused Oher of threatening to plant a negative story about them unless they paid him $15 million.
Singer said the Tuohys hope Oher regrets his recent decisions and that they can reconcile.
害羞草研究所淚n the meantime, however, they will not hesitate to defend their good names, stand up to this shakedown and defeat this offensive lawsuit,害羞草研究所� the statement says.
Oher filed a a conservatorship initiated by the Tuohys in 2004 害羞草研究所� months after he turned 18.
害羞草研究所淥her discovered this lie to his chagrin and embarrassment in February of 2023, when he learned that the Conservatorship to which he consented on the basis that doing so would make him a member of the Tuohy family, in fact provided him no familial relationship with the Tuohys,害羞草研究所� according to his petition.
He moved in with the Tuohys just before his senior year of high school and later attended Sean Tuohy害羞草研究所檚 alma mater, Mississippi. Oher asks for a full accounting of his assets considering his life story produced millions of dollars and he says he received nothing.
Oher, , also asks in the petition that the Tuohys be sanctioned and required to pay both compensatory and punitive damages determined by the court.
The Tuohy family statement says the idea that they sought to profit off Oher is 害羞草研究所渘ot only offensive, it is transparently ridiculous.害羞草研究所� The statement notes the Tuohys are worth 害羞草研究所渉undreds of millions of dollars害羞草研究所� and the notion they would 害羞草研究所渃onnive to withhold a few thousand dollars害羞草研究所� defies belief.
害羞草研究所淭hey have consistently treated him like a son and one of their three children,害羞草研究所� Singer said in the statement. 害羞草研究所淗is response was to threaten them, including saying that he would plant a negative story about them in the press unless they paid him $15 million.害羞草研究所�
The statement says agents negotiated a small advance from the production company for the Oscar-nominated movie 害羞草研究所淭he Blind Side,害羞草研究所� which was based on the book written by Sean Tuohy害羞草研究所檚 friend Michael Lewis. That included 害羞草研究所渁 tiny percentage of net profits害羞草研究所� divided equally with the Tuohys making 害羞草研究所済ood on that pledge.害羞草研究所�
Singer notes evidence exists in profit participation checks and studio accounting statements for the movie that won for her portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy.
When Oher refused to cash what the statement calls 害羞草研究所渟mall profit checks害羞草研究所� as part of his 害羞草研究所渟hakedown effort,害羞草研究所� the statement says the Tuohys deposited Oher害羞草研究所檚 share into a trust account set up for his son.
The Tuohys insist they received 害羞草研究所渘ot one penny害羞草研究所� as Oher害羞草研究所檚 conservators and set it up only to help him with health insurance, a driver害羞草研究所檚 license and being admitted to college. The statement says the Tuohys will not oppose Oher害羞草研究所檚 wish to end their conservatorship.
Singer said in the statement that Oher has tried this 害羞草研究所渟everal times before害羞草研究所� only to have attorneys stop representing him once they learned the truth. The statement called this a 害羞草研究所渃ynical attempt害羞草研究所� as part of Oher害羞草研究所檚 latest book tour.
Oher was the 23rd overall pick in the 2009 draft out of Mississippi, and he spent his first five seasons with the Baltimore Ravens where he won a Super Bowl. He played 110 games over eight NFL seasons, including 2014 when he started 11 games for the Tennessee Titans. Oher finished his career with two years in Carolina.
He last played in 2016 and was
