Tuohy family claims Michael Oher of “The Blind Side” tried to extort $15 million from them

The authorized battle between the protagonists of the inspirational 2009 movie “The Blind Aspect” is getting extra tangled. 

Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy — the couple who took in former NFL offensive lineman Michael Oher when he was a teen —declare in a courtroom submitting that Oher tried to extort $15 million from them. 

The struggle between Oher and Tuohys got here to mild in August when the previous soccer participant instructed a Tennessee decide that, opposite to the movie’s depiction, he was by no means adopted by the Tuohy household, and that the household allegedly earned hundreds of thousands from the story.

Now, the Tuohy household is claiming in authorized paperwork filed Monday that they had been threatened by Oher. The household alleges Oher despatched them textual content messages demanding a payout of $15 million or else he would take his accusations to the press and social media. Within the authorized filings, the Tuohys ask that the courtroom deny Oher’s request for a brief injunction, arguing that his case will not succeed as a result of the couple is not engaged in business use of his title, likeness or picture. 

The filings additionally allege that Oher started demanding cash from the Tuohys after his skilled soccer profession had ended.

“Round that point, maybe as a result of he was now not making vital amount of cash as knowledgeable athlete, Mr. Oher grew to become more and more estranged from the Tuohys, believing incorrectly that that they had not paid him the cash he was owed,” the submitting alleges.

“He later started demanding cash by texts and emails,” the submitting additionally claims.

Oher’s lawyer did not instantly reply to a request for remark.

Termination of conservatorship

In a single group of texts included within the filings, Oher allegedly wrote, “It was 10 million now I would like 15 million after taxes.” He additionally threatened to speak with the press about his allegations, texting, “If one thing is not resolve [sic] this Friday, I will to ahed and inform the world, how I used to be robbed by my suppose to be [sic] mother and father. That is the deadline.”

“Suppose the way it will look when this comes out,” learn one other textual content allegedly from Oher, included within the filings.

Earlier this yr, Oher, 37, petitioned a Tennessee decide to revoke the 2004 conservatorship created by the Tuohys when he was a teen, arguing that he was sufficiently old to deal with his personal enterprise affairs. The Tuohys “have falsely and publicly represented themselves because the adoptive mother and father of Michael,” the petition claimed.

A decide in September ended the conservatorship that allowed the Tuohys to manage Oher’s funds.

In “The Blind Aspect,” Leigh Anne Tuohy, 63, was portrayed by Sandra Bullock, whereas Sean Tuohy, 64, was performed by Tim McGraw. The movie was based mostly on a 2006 e-book by author Michael Lewis.