Michael Oher’s foster brothers are setting the record straight about the former NFL offensive lineman’s life. In a CNN documentary called Blindsided, Nate and Quwanda Hale said they know what life was like for Oher, who is suing the Tuohy family over profits that were made from the movie The Blind Side. The brothers said they were “blessed” with a foster mom who “provided for us” before Oher moved in with the Tuohy family, per PEOPLE.
One of the things Blindsided showed is Oher telling Leigh Anne Tuohy that he never had a bed for himself, which is not true, according to the Hale brothers. They said, “That video is depicting something that didn’t occur” while adding that the foster system requires each child to “have their own space.” Nate went on to say that Oher was nearly always happy, and both brothers revealed that Oher always wanted to play football. “Michael pretty much grasped the concept that everyone else grasped — this is not the end of your life — let this be a step towards the beginning of a new life,” Nate said.
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Quinterio Frankin, a former football player at the Catholic school Briarcrest which is where Oher played, said he walked out while watching The Blind Side in theatres. “I’m embarrassed for him as a friend — it’s not accurate and it’s hurtful,” he said, referring to a scene that showed Oher being unable to read and write in high school.
In the court documents, Oher claimed that he did not receive profit from The Blind Side despite the film’s success. He alleges that Leigh Anne Tuohy and her husband Sean did earn a profit, claiming that the entire family made $250,000 from the flim in addition to 2.5 percent in residuals. The Tuohy’s have denied that claim along with Alcorn Entertainment, which produced the 2009 movie. Alcorn Entertainment says that Oher and the four members of the Tuohy family received around $767,000 in payments delivered through their talent agency for The Blind Side. Oher received more than $138,000 for his rights to The Blind Side, according to a court filing from the Tuohy family on Nov. 9.
Oher played college football at Ole Miss and was a two-time First-team All-SEC selection. In 2009, Oher was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round and helped the team win the Super Bowl during the 2012 season.
