“The Blind Side” Dad Sean Tuohy Says Family ‘Devastated’ After Michael Oher Claims Relationship w/ Family Was A ‘Lie’ They Profited From

“The Blind Side” Dad Sean Tuohy Says Family ‘Devastated’ After Michael Oher Claims Relationship w/ Family Was A ‘Lie’ They Profited From

Sean Tuohy is speaking out in response to the allegations Michael Oher made against his family.

The Tuohy family has been credited as the devoted ones who welcomed Michael Oher into their home and introduced him to a life of love and resources that eventually led him to the NFL — but apparently it was all a lie.

Sean Tuohy said he received words of Michael Oher‘s accusations around noon Monday when a friend forwarded him the original ESPN article. He said,

“We’re devastated. It’s upsetting to think we would make money off any of our children. But we’re going to love Michael at 37 just like we loved him at 16.”

The Blind Side, which is based on the lives of Oher, 37, and the Tuohy family stars Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw as Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy, respectively. The film made more than $300 million at the box office.

Sean Tuohy continued,

“We didn’t make any money off the movie. Well, Michael Lewis [the author of the book ‘The Blind Side’] gave us half of his share. Everybody in the family got an equal share, including Michael. It was about $14,000, each.

He added,

“We were never offered money; we never asked for money. My money is well-documented; you can look up how much I sold my company for.”

Tuohy played point guard for Ole Miss and was an active supporter of the university, which would have made him a “booster” by the NCAA standards.

He claimed the conservatorship at the center of Monday’s petition was established after the NCAA declared that Oher could only attend Ole Miss if he was officially a member of the family.

“I sat Michael down and told him, ‘If you’re planning to go to Ole Miss — or even considering Ole Miss — we think you have to be part of the family. This would do that, legally.’”

He added that it had nothing to do with the movie, but was rather a means of pleasing the NCAA.

Oher said in a petition submitted on Monday, August 14, in probate court that the Tuohy family had deceived him into signing a paper appointing them as conservators when he was 18 and had since gained millions off that “lie.”

While the state of Tennessee currently permits “adult adoption” for adults over the age of 18, Tuohy said the family contacted lawyers who told them otherwise.

He noted that he and his family are prepared to do whatever Oher wants, though it would hurt him if the former pro football player didn’t want to be part of their family anymore. Tuohy added,

“It’s hard because you have to defend yourself, but whatever he wants, we’ll do. We’re not in this for anything other than whatever he wants. If he’d have said, ‘I don’t want to be part of the family anymore,’ we’d have been very upset, but we absolutely would have done it.

What are your thoughts on the entire situation? Let us know in the comments!

[VIA]