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Michael Lewis, author of The Blind Side: The Evolution of a Game, responded to Michael O’Hare’s accusations against Sean and Lee Ann Twohy.
O’Hare, the NFL star at the center of “The Blind Side,” alleged that the Tuohys denied him the profits from the Oscar-winning film and didn’t actually adopt him, instead tricking him into making the couple his bodyguards.
in Interview with The Washington PostLewis denied Oher’s claim that the Tuohys made millions from the film, while Oher was not compensated.
“Everyone should be angry at the Hollywood studio system,” said Lewis. “Michael O’Hare should join the writers’ strike. The way accounting works in Hollywood is outrageous, but the money is not in Towhees pockets.”
Lewis told The Washington Post that 20th Century Fox paid $250,000 for the rights to The Blind Side, which the author apparently split 50-50 with the Tuohy family. The Tuohys claimed that they divided their share equally among their families, including Oher. After taxes and agent fees, Lewis told the newspaper, he got about $70,000 for the story option. In addition, Lewis said he offered the cast — which includes Sandra Bullock, Kenton Aaron, Tim McGraw and Lily Collins — a share of the film’s net profits.
After taxes and agent fees, Lewis said, he and the Tuohy family made about $350,000 from “The Blind Side.” According to The Washington Post, “Lewis said the Tuohy family planned to share the royalties among family members, including Oher, but Oher began to decline his royalty checks,” Lewis said. Lewis said he believed the Tuohy family had deposited Oher’s share into a trust fund for Oher’s son. “.
Lewis added that two years ago O’Hare had called him to ask him about doing a speaking tour to make money discussing The Blind Side. The author apparently brought the idea to his agent, but nothing came of it.
“What makes me really sad is that I saw everything up close,” Lewis said. They showered him with resources and love. Being suspicious of them is amazing. The state of mind one must be in to do this—I feel sorry for him.”
In his petition, O’Hare alleged that the Toyehs and their two biological children received $225,000 plus 2.5% of “identified net proceeds” from the “blind side”, while O’Hare offered nothing. O’Hare allegedly signed a separate contract in 2007 ceding the rights to his life to 20th Century Fox “with no payment whatsoever,” but O’Hare says he doesn’t remember signing that contract, and if he did, no one would have warned him of the repercussions. (20th Century Fox didn’t end up making the movie, which was produced by Alcon Entertainment and distributed by Warner Bros.)
With his petition, O’Hare is asking a Tennessee court to end his ruling and issue an injunction barring the Tuohys from using his name and likeness. The former Baltimore Ravens player and Super Bowl winner is also demanding a full account of the money the Tuohys earned using Oher’s name. He seeks from the Tuohys his “fair share of the profits”, as well as “unspecified and punitive damages”.
O’Hare’s attorney, J.J. Gerard Strech 4, right away diverseComment request.