Alcon Entertainment, the film company that produced the hit 2009 film The Blind Side, is defending its film and the Tuohy family against charges that they defrauded former NFL player Michael Oher of an untold amount of money in proceeds from the film.
Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove, the co-heads of Alcon, are defending the movie, calling accusations that they fabricated the story the film is based upon are “mischaracterizations and uninformed opinions.” The pair also released financial records to prove their point, the Hollywood Reporter said.
“The deal that was made by Fox for the Tuohys’ and Michael 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 film executives wrote. “As a result, the notion that the Tuohys were paid millions of dollars by Alcon to the detriment of Michael Oher is false. In fact, Alcon has paid approximately $767,000 to the talent agency that represents the Tuohy family and Michael Oher (who, presumably, took commission before passing it through).”
The movie, based on the book of the same name, follows the story of football player Michael Oher, a disadvantaged youth who became a star high school football player, and the family that took him in and gave him a stable home as he ventured into college football, and then the NFL.
Baltimore Ravens #23 draft pick Michael Oher poses for a photograph with his family at Radio City Music Hall for the 2009 NFL Draft on April 25, 2009, in New York City (Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
The heartwarming tale earned star Sandra Bullock an Oscar for her role as Leigh Anne Tuohy and became a surprise hit, earning more than $300 million.
But this month, Oher sued the Tuohy family, claiming they lied about having adopted him into their family and have been stealing money from him for over a decade.
The Touhy family said they were “devastated” by the accusations.
Leigh Anne Tuohy celebrates on the field after her adoptive son Michael Oher #74 of the Baltimore Ravens and the Ravens defeat the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 during Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on February 3, 2013, in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
But Oher’s claims have met with a lot of resistance.
Oher’s college coach, for instance, defended the Tuohys and said that they were “admirable” for what they did for the player.
Michael Lewis, author of the book that spawned the film, chimed in to allege that Oher actually refused money from the film.
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