Production Company Behind ‘The Blind Side’ Chimes in Amid Legal Battle Between Michael Oher and the Tuohys
Alcon Entertainment, the production company behind the acclaimed sports film "The Blind Side,” has spoken out amidst an ongoing legal dispute involving the film's central figures: Michael Oher and the Tuohy family.
Earlier this month, the former NFL player filed a lawsuit alleging that Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy deceived him into signing conservatorship documents that he thought were his adoption papers.
Oher also alleged that the Tuohys, including their two biological children, each received $225,000 and 2.5% of the film's "defined net proceeds.” He maintained that the Tuohys “collectively received millions of dollars” while he received nothing.
However, in a statement, co-founders and co-CEOs Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove countered those telling PEOPLE that Oher and the Tuohy collectively received approximately $767,000 in payments delivered through their talent agency for “The Blind Side.”
Johnson and Kosove also stated that the deal for the Tuohy’s and Oher’s life rights was consistent with the marketplace at that time for the rights of relatively unknown individuals. Therefore, it did not include significant payouts in the event of the film’s success." The Oscar-winning movie ultimately made $330 million at the box office and has since continued making money.
Regarding the lawsuit, Oher is seeking the termination of the Tuohy's conservatorship. Additionally, he aims to prohibit the family from utilizing his name and likeness, generating profits from his narrative, and is pursuing both unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.