'The Blind Side' Author Michael Lewis Weighs in On Michael Oher's Conservatorship Lawsuit

Amid the ongoing legal drama between Michael Oher and the Tuohy family, author Michael Lewis -- who wrote the book which the 2009 Oscar-nominated film The Blind Side was adapted from -- is weighing in.

Recently, Oher -- the former NFL star who was the inspiration behind the book and the film -- filed legal documents in Tennessee court requesting it terminate a conservatorship after alleging Leigh Anne Tuohy and Sean Tuohy lied about adopting him and tricked him into making them his conservators shortly after he turned 18.

Oher claims the Tuohys made millions off his name while he never received a dime, after the film -- starring Sandra Bullock, Quinton Aaron, Jae Head, Tim McGraw, Lily Collins and Kathy Bates -- earned more than $300 million at the box office.

However, Lewis claims that, despite the film's success, none of the real-life figures who inspired the film have gotten nearly any money from it in the 13 years since its release.

"Everybody should be mad at the Hollywood studio system," Lewis recently toldThe Washington Post. "Michael Oher should join the writers strike. It's outrageous how Hollywood accounting works, but the money is not in the Tuohys' pockets."

The book and film are centered around the Tuohy family taking in Oher and helping transform his life, on and off the field, to become an NFL lineman.

Lewis claims that creative accounting and other infamous Hollywood tactics led to far less in royalty checks for himself and the Tuohy family than expected. Lewis claims that he ultimately only got paid around $350,000 in total thus far, and that the Tuohy family would have received the same amount.

Lewis claims that Oher began to distance himself from the family, and had allegedly started to refuse to accept royalty checks when they came in.

"What I feel really sad about is I watched the whole thing up close," said Lewis -- who was a childhood friend of Sean Tuohy.

"They showered him with resources and love. That he’s suspicious of them is breathtaking," Lewis stated. "The state of mind one has to be in to do that -- I feel sad for him."

Attorneys Randall Fishman and Steven Farese held a news conference Wednesday in Memphis, Tennessee to speak on behalf of the Tuohys amid Oher's lawsuit

When asked if Oher has been part of the Tuohy family or had any close contact with the Tuohys, Farese said "no."

"He's been estranged probably since for the last 10 years," Farese added, "and becoming more and more vocal and more and more threatening."

Oher also alleged that the Tuohys used their power as conservators to negotiate a deal with 20th Century Fox that paid them and their biological children -- Collins Tuohy and Sean Tuohy Jr. -- millions of dollars in royalties from The Blind Side

Fishman, however, insists that the total amount paid out to the Tuohys and Oher since the release of The Blind Side is significantly less, claiming that it's actually to the tune of approximately $100,000 per person.

As for Oher's claims that he "shall not be allowed to enter into any contracts or bind himself without the direct approval of his conservators," Fishman said that's "patently false."

"He's negotiated his own contract with the NFL. He's hired and fired his agents," Fishman claimed. "The Tuohys have never had to sign off on any of that. He's done that all himself."

In a lengthy statement to ET, the Tuohys other attorney, Marty Singer, said "Should Mr. Oher wish to terminate the conservatorship, either now or at any time in the future, the Tuohys will never oppose it in any way."

Just days after filing his lawsuit, Oher publicly spoke out about the ordeal in a statement to ET.

"I am disheartened by the revelation shared in the lawsuit today," Oher told ET through his rep. "This is a difficult situation for my family and me. I want to ask everyone to please respect our privacy at this time. For now, I will let the lawsuit speak for itself and will offer no further comment."

RELATED CONTENT:

'The Blind Side' Subjects Sean Tuohy and Son SJ Respond to Michael Oher's Lawsuit

'The Blind Side's Quinton Aaron Has a Message for Michael Oher

'The Blind Side' Subject Michael Oher, Tuohys Estranged for 10 Years

'The Blind Side's Quinton Aaron Defends Sandra Bullock Amid Tuohy Suit

Tuohy Family Claims Michael Oher Threatened Them for $15 Million

Michael Oher Speaks Out on Lawsuit Filed Against Touhy Family

Advertisement