Michael Oher can end his conservatorship at any time after 2011, at which time his NFL contract is worth $13.5 million.
The Super Bowl-winning player was 18 when he signed an agreement to appoint Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy as his legal guardians on August 9, 2004.
“It is still his desire that the Petitioner be recognized as his legal guardian at least until he reaches the age of 25 or until terminated by order of this court before that time,” according to the nine-page document obtained by The Post.
“He needs their help and guidance and continues to depend on them … Now that he has reached the age of 18, he seeks to appoint them as his conservators for all purposes.”
Timothy Street, a Tennessee-based attorney who handles conservatorship cases, said Oher – now 37 – could “at any time” ask a judge to end the conservatorship.
Michael Oher, who plays for the Carolina Panthers, watches the game against the Arizona Cardinals during the NFC Championship Game at Bank Of America Stadium on January 24, 2016, in Charlotte, North Carolina.Getty Images
“If you have enough financial savvy to sign a multi-million dollar contract with the NFL, you have to have enough knowledge to know whether you want to stay in conservatorship or not. They’re not going to let you sign that kind of contract if you burden yourself, ” said Street.
Oher, who was drafted into the NFL by the Baltimore Ravens, was 23 years old when he signed his contract in 2009.
The 2004 petition goes on to say a licensed physician who examined Oher concluded that the teenager had “no known physical or psychological impairment.”
However, it gave Tuohys “all powers of attorney to act on his behalf,” and stated he could not enter into any contracts without their approval.
Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy, known for the book and the hit movie “The Blind Side,” pose in an undated handout photo released to Reuters July 21, 2010. REUTERS
This week Oher filed new papers with the Probate Court of Shelby County, Tennessee, demanding to see 19 years of the Touhys’ accounting, after initial allegations that they had made millions off his name through the movie “The Blind Side” and not paid him for it. He also asked the judge to terminate the conservatorship.
The original 2004 petition did not include any language addressing Oher’s finances or future assets and how they should be accounted for.
“By the time he got into this, there probably wasn’t a need for an accounting so the court didn’t ask or require it,” Street said.
“So if [the Tuohys] don’t file an accounting, there’s nothing that makes them do that as far as I can see. The law probably requires it and they don’t do it.”
The petition states Oher had “no estate” at the time of the 2004 signing, when he was 18 and still living with family. Oher’s mother also agreed and signed the petition.
Michael Oher, who plays for the Carolina Panthers, watches replays against the Minnesota Vikings in the third quarter during their game at Bank of America Stadium on September 25, 2016, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Getty Images
During his eight-year NFL career playing for the Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers, Oher earned more than $34 million, according to Spotrac.
“None of the Tuohys told Michael that they would have ultimate control over all of his contracts, and as a result Michael did not understand that if the Conservatorship was granted, he had signed away his rights to the contracts for himself,” Oher’s attorney wrote. in his recent complaint.
“Michael has been wrongly advised by the Tuohy family that because he is over the age of eighteen, the legal action to adopt Michael should be called a ‘conservatory’ but it is, for all intents and purposes, an adoption.”
Oher also said the Tuohys continually “falsely and openly” represented themselves as her adoptive parents and pointed out that the family was still using her name and picture to promote their website and foundation.
Oher also claimed the signature on the 2007 contract in which he agreed to sign away his life rights to “The Blind Side” may not have been his.
Michael Oher visits the SiriusXM studios in New York City on August 9, 2023. Oher complained about how he was portrayed in the movie “The Blind Side” starring Sandra Bullock.Getty Images
“Michael Oher believes that the signature on this document is very similar to his signature, and he does not know if the signature was forged,” his attorney wrote in the Aug. 14 complaint.
Producers Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove, co-founders of Alcon Entertainment — the company that financed “The Blind Side” — said in a statement to Deadline their company paid about $767,000 to the talent agency that represented Tuohys and Oher.
They also addressed Oher’s claim that he didn’t know how much he was supposed to receive when he signed his life rights to Twentieth Century Fox, which initially financed the film until Alcon took over.
“It’s important to note that in 2006, the nature of life rights deals for books, documentaries and movies, as well as the limitations of what college athletes could do and maintain eligibility, were very different than what they are today,” the producers said in a statement. that. “Comparing them to today’s market for those rights is like comparing a basketball Hall of Famer’s deal from 25 years ago to the nine-figure deals common in today’s NBA.
“The deal that Fox made for the life rights of the Tuohys and Michael Oher was consistent with the market at the time for the rights of unknown individuals. Therefore, it does not include a significant payout if the film is successful.”
Michael Oher, who plays for the Ole Miss Rebels, stands with Tuohys during a senior ceremony before a game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on November 28, 2008, in Oxford, Mississippi. Getty Images
The film grossed over $309 million worldwide and earned an Oscar win for actress Sandra Bullock, who played Leigh Anne Tuohy in the blockbuster.
Street said that according to the 2004 petition, the Tuohys still have legal control over Oher’s name and likeness.
Nothing was filed in the case between 2004 and this year, when Oher filed his claim.
“If they misallocate some money and they have a fiduciary duty to protect it, they’re not going to get the light of justice,” Street said.
Sean Tuohy has rejected the idea of his family profiting heavily from the film.
He said Oher and the rest of his family, including his wife, son and daughter, earned only about $14,000 each.
“I would say it’s annoying that people would think I want to make money off of any of my kids,” Sean Tuohy told the Daily Memphian newspaper.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
