The Blind Side producers are speaking out for the first time since Michael Oher accused the Tuohys of withholding his portion of earnings from the film.
The payouts to Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy and Oher were detailed by the co-founders and co-CEOs of Alcon Entertainment, Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove, “Today” reports.
The co-founders denied the accusations that they paid the Tuohys millions for the film. It was stated that the family was paid approximately $700,000 to be split among themselves. This was reportedly after Alcon Entertainment paid the talent agency of the Tuohy family and Oher $767,000. Presumably, Oher received his commission before the payment went through to the agency.
Oher filed a petition to end his conservatorship on Monday, Aug. 14, claiming he signed because he thought they were adoption papers. The former NFL star said he found out six months ago that the papers made the Tuohys his conservators rather than his adoptive parents.
However, the Tuohys’ lawyers claimed he was always aware it was not a legal adoption, as he mentioned the conservatorship in his 2011 memoir, “I Beat The Odds: From Homelessness, to The Blind Side, and Beyond.”
During a new Aug. 21 court filing, Oher accused the Tuohys of keeping almost 20 years worth of financial information from him. He asked that they provide a full accounting of their earnings from the 2009 movie.
Johnson and Kosove are speaking out because they feel Oher’s lawsuit caused media reports to mislead others about the film. They stated that many trustworthy individuals have spoken about the Tuohys raising and loving Oher as their own son.
Per the outlet, the pair also shared that the deal with Twentieth Century Fox was tailored to the rights at the time of the film. It did not include any notable payouts in the event of the movie’s possible success. Therefore, the Tuohys were not paid millions over Oher.
The producers stated that Michael Oher and the Tuohy family will continue to receive contractual payments for the movie.