Michael Oher claims Tuohy family tricked him into agreeing to conservatorship

[csx]

7 minutes ago, tiger7_88 said:

Well, the BOOK the movie was based on wasn’t a Michael Oher biography. It was a book about Oher *and* the Tuohy’s, the relationship between them, and the end result.  

The book also brilliantly covered the evolution of the LT position due to the advent of Lawrence Taylor (and his successors) in the NFL, but I don’t see Lawrence Taylor or all LT’s in the NFL, post-Taylor, suing the Tuohy’s.

In fact, its a story as old as time. Big high school/college star enters the NFL, makes MILLIONS, but is merely an average-to-good NFL player. Players career ends (for whatever reason), player blows through his millions, and now needs more of that sweet sweet $$$ to maintain his life-style. Then chooses the most convenient, tastiest target.

Oher told the family prior to this lawsuit that if they would just hand over $XX million dollars then he wouldn’t sue and drag their names through the mud. That proves that, in the end, its all about the Benjamins that Oher no longer has but longs for.

The Tuohy’s should have left his fat-ass in the streets.

No poo it's about the $$. It's about him believing he was screwed out of it. It's a civil lawsuit. What else do you think it's about? Of course anyone filing a civil lawsuit would prefer to settle. Compensation for alleged wrong doing is the only purpose of bringing such a suit.

Edited August 17, 2023 by csx

[DamnItJake!]

Sad to hear a feel good story going sour!! Who’s in the wrong/right!?? Is it about money!?? Did they really help him!?? To be honest I haven’t followed it closely.. seeing headlines he was never truly adopted!?? Some conservative ship?? Thingy.. Just sounds weird and money grabbing now.. I thought it was cool the Panthers were signing him cuz the supposedly history!! No knock on him just a crazy/crappy story now

[MechaZain]

On 8/14/2023 at 6:01 PM, ladypanther said:

lol@ those trashing Sandra Bullock for this.  Don't think she wrote the story.

From the link earlier provided:

Mike’s relationship with the Tuohy family started to decline when he discovered that he was portrayed in the movie as unintelligent,” his attorney, J. Gerard Stranch IV told Fletchet. “Their relationship continued to deteriorate as he learned that he was the only member of the family not receiving royalty checks from the movie, and it was permanently fractured when he realized he wasn’t adopted and a part of the family.”

When I watched the movie...I was bothered by how Oher was portrayed...basically as a giant oaf.

From the court filing: “Michael Oher discovered this lie to his chagrin and embarrassment in February of 2023, when he learned that the Conservatorship to which he consented on the basis that doing so would make him a member of the Tuohy family, in fact provided him no familial relationship with the Tuohys.”

Not sure why that took so long.  Money may be a motive but so what.  Looks like these people exploited him for their own gain.  They deserve to lose big.  Oher has made a positive contribution outside of football with his foundation.  I wish him the best.

Oher was academically gifted when he met the Tuohys. The fact that they signed off on portraying their “son” as slow tells me all I need to know about them. 

[pantherclaw]

The family always seemed Luke they were putting on a show. 

So sad how people use others for their own selfish gains. 

[KatsAzz]

On 8/14/2023 at 3:08 PM, rebelrouser said:

Guess who ran through all of his NFL money and wants to sell copies of his new book out on August 8, 2023? 

A typical case of "show me the money".

[t96]

I don't believe the Tuohy family made much of anything at all off of the movie, the $ from the movie stayed in hollywood aside from the author of the book selling the film rights for a really low amount (relative to box office) which I believe was split with the Tuohy family (allegedly including Oher), it was just a very low amount compared to what Oher thinks he deserves from it. Follow the $ and it'll lead to Hollywood not the Tuohys, and I'm pretty positive the studio has everything locked in stone legally. I feel really bad for Oher with his concussion issues and this situation but I don't think he's going to come out of this ahead. Maybe it'll help his upcoming book sales.

[Ricky Prickles]

3 hours ago, MechaZain said:

Oher was academically gifted when he met the Tuohys. The fact that they signed off on portraying their “son” as slow tells me all I need to know about them. 

Did the family sign off on the entire script of that movie? Did they sign off on the finished product? Often or not the writer or creator has a vision and the director or producers get involved and change the whole story then the movie becomes more of the directors version or interpretation of the story.

[Ricky Prickles]

7 minutes ago, t96 said:

I don't believe the Tuohy family made much of anything at all off of the movie, the $ from the movie stayed in hollywood aside from the author of the book selling the film rights for a really low amount (relative to box office) which I believe was split with the Tuohy family (allegedly including Oher), it was just a very low amount compared to what Oher thinks he deserves from it. Follow the $ and it'll lead to Hollywood not the Tuohys, and I'm pretty positive the studio has everything locked in stone legally. I feel really bad for Oher with his concussion issues and this situation but I don't think he's going to come out of this ahead. Maybe it'll help his upcoming book sales.

This, from what I was reading the family including Oher didnt make much off it and was Hollywood that made the real money. The only decent money the family would have made would have to have to have been after the fact in any endorsements or anything they may have made when it was all released and any deals they brokered. If the movie holds true it doesnt look like the family needed much money with the number of restaurants they owned. IF of course that part was true it appears the family was doing pretty well already before they met Oher. Im sure their restaurants business/sales went through the roof after the release of the movie as well.

[ladypanther]

People who have plenty of money always want more.  The Tuohy's profited beyond the direct proceeds from the movie.  As you said above likely made their businesses more popular, they gained fame and a lot of other doors were likely opened for them as a result.

Still...there has been a lot of back and forth between the sides.  It will be interesting to see how the facts play out.

It does seem that meeting  the criteria for the conservatorship when it was put in place is questionable:

According to Tennessee law (the state where Oher and the Tuohys filed the paperwork), a conservatorship “removes the decision-making powers and duties” from a person with a “disability who lacks the capacity to make decisions in one or more important areas.”

According to the Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, a person requesting to become a conservator can apply to do so under these conditions:

A person supported in the Tennessee DIDD waiver; or
A person supported enrolled in the EFC (Employment and Choices First) Choices program; and
A person supported over the age of 18; and
A person supported who is financially indigent; or
A person supported who is not financially indigent, but receives prior approval from DIDD’s office of general counsel; and
A person supported who has an urgent or emergency need for a conservator due to their current conservator no longer being able to serve as conservator or due to a medical need.

_________

Also-

Could the Tuohys have adopted Oher once he turned 18?
Yes. According to Tennessee law, “When petitioner seeks to adopt a person who is eighteen years of age or older, only the sworn, written consent of the person sought to be adopted shall be required and no order of reference or any home studies need be issued.”

If the Tuohys would have adopted Oher, the family wouldn’t have had the legal rights to make decisions for him once he turned 18 since he would be a legal adult. That’s unlike a conservatorship where the conservator controls the financial decisions for the ward.

https://theathletic.com/4778704/2023/08/15/michael-oher-conservatorship-blind-side/

 

It is curious that it is still in place.  That has not been explained as far as I have seen.

 

[csx]

Love the stereotype judgements

[Mr. Scot]

Not really sure what to think of this story just yet...

From what I've read, it sounds like the money the family made off the movie is relatively small, definitely nowhere near what Oher would have made from an NFL contract.

Yes, there would be perks to the fame they gained, but those would apply to Oher as well. He definitely gained greater fame than his NFL career alone would have given him.

The primary questions I have that I haven't seen answered yet...

1) Did Oher also make money off the movie? If so, how much relative to what the family made?

2) Did the family get any portion of his NFL earnings? (that one is kind of important)

3) What was the purpose of the conservatorship from the family's perspective?

4) What actual financial decisions came out of the conservatorship?

Can't say I've done a deep dive into this story yet, so if any of this has been answered already, feel free to enlighten me.

[ladypanther]

5 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

1) Did Oher also make money off the movie? If so, how much relative to what the family made?

I think Oher says he did not...the family says he did.

Should be a paper trail to eventually sort out the truth for most of the stuff.

[Mr. Scot]

Just now, ladypanther said:

I think Oher says he did not...the family says he did.

Should be a paper trail to eventually sort out the truth for most of the stuff.

That's what I'd expect.

Also, as others have said, I'd expect accounting to find the people who made the movie also made way more of a profit than any of the people it was based on did.

Edited August 17, 2023 by Mr. Scot

[Ricky Prickles]

52 minutes ago, ladypanther said:

People who have plenty of money always want more.  The Tuohy's profited beyond the direct proceeds from the movie.  As you said above likely made their businesses more popular, they gained fame and a lot of other doors were likely opened for them as a result.

Still...there has been a lot of back and forth between the sides.  It will be interesting to see how the facts play out.

It does seem that meeting  the criteria for the conservatorship when it was put in place is questionable:

According to Tennessee law (the state where Oher and the Tuohys filed the paperwork), a conservatorship “removes the decision-making powers and duties” from a person with a “disability who lacks the capacity to make decisions in one or more important areas.”

According to the Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, a person requesting to become a conservator can apply to do so under these conditions:

A person supported in the Tennessee DIDD waiver; or
A person supported enrolled in the EFC (Employment and Choices First) Choices program; and
A person supported over the age of 18; and
A person supported who is financially indigent; or
A person supported who is not financially indigent, but receives prior approval from DIDD’s office of general counsel; and
A person supported who has an urgent or emergency need for a conservator due to their current conservator no longer being able to serve as conservator or due to a medical need.

_________

Also-

Could the Tuohys have adopted Oher once he turned 18?
Yes. According to Tennessee law, “When petitioner seeks to adopt a person who is eighteen years of age or older, only the sworn, written consent of the person sought to be adopted shall be required and no order of reference or any home studies need be issued.”

If the Tuohys would have adopted Oher, the family wouldn’t have had the legal rights to make decisions for him once he turned 18 since he would be a legal adult. That’s unlike a conservatorship where the conservator controls the financial decisions for the ward.

https://theathletic.com/4778704/2023/08/15/michael-oher-conservatorship-blind-side/

 

It is curious that it is still in place.  That has not been explained as far as I have seen.

 

With it explained like that and your research it does look shady on their behalf. If they loved him and felt like he was another son to them they would have been happy to adopt him into the family and not wanted a dime from him as most caring parents just want the child's love and nothing financial from their child. That whole conservatorship does seem very shady. At 18 I would have had no idea what that was and wouldnt have even cared if I had no family and thought I was getting adopted.