The sports melodrama “The Blind Side” moved millions of viewers: It shows the story of football talent Michael Oher, who grew up in poor conditions and was then taken in by a wealthy family. With their support, Oher makes it to the pro. There is a true story behind this, Oher even won the Super Bowl.
But the Hollywood fairy tale has now become a mud fight. The former NFL professional is making serious allegations against his foster parents Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy and is taking legal action against them: They are said to have never actually adopted him, but only assumed guardianship for him. This gave them the right to enter into contracts for him. In this way, the family would have benefited from his story – especially the extremely successful film adaptation.
Sandra Bullock took on the role of the mother in “The Blind Side”, for which she even received an Oscar for best actress. Michael Oher’s allegations do not leave the actress indifferent either. The British Daily Mail quoted an insider as saying that she was “heartbroken” in view of the latest developments. “She hates that such a wonderful story, a spectacular film and a spectacular time in her life should now have negative connotations.”
Oher’s allegations tainted the storyline presented in the film: “Now people don’t want to see the film and if they do, they’re going to react very differently than what was originally intended,” the source said. Bullock is going through a difficult time anyway: her longtime partner Bryan Randall recently passed away from ALS. Demands are already being made online that the 59-year-old should return her Oscar for the film released in 2009 – from fans who obviously cannot distinguish between reality and the cinematic portrayal.
Quinton Aaron, who played the young Michael Oher in “The Blind Side,” thinks these claims are nonsense. “Such a statement makes no sense. Sandra Bullock has nothing to do with the true story that we are reading,” he told the US celebrity portal “TMZ”. Her acting performance “should not be marred by anything unrelated to her”.
Michael Oher has filed a civil lawsuit against the Tuohy couple. The couple have denied the allegations, claiming that Oher tried to extort $15 million from the family to keep the story from going public.
Sources: Daily Mail / TMZ / AP
