Michael Lewis literally wrote the book on the Tuohy family and Michael Oher. Lewis, a longtime friend of Sean Tuohy, wrote The Blind Side, which was adapted into the successful film. Lewis’s book was ground zero for the misinformation about Oher for years, and Oher only learned this year that the Tuohys had never adopted him, that they put him into a conservatorship without his knowledge. Lewis’s book fudged that fact with the talk of “guardianship” and then the film adaptation just lied about it totally, saying that Oher was adopted by the Tuohys. Lewis missed the chance to actually be an investigative journalist and tell the truth about the Tuohys. Instead, he’s toeing the Tuohys’ line and suggesting that Oher’s lawsuit is solely about the profits from the film (of which Oher was scammed out of his life rights).
In an interview with The Washington Post, Michael Lewis said that despite the movie’s success, no one involved in the book saw millions of dollars from the movie.
“Everybody should be mad at the Hollywood studio system,” Lewis said. “Michael Oher should join the writers strike. It’s outrageous how Hollywood accounting works, but the money is not in the Tuohys’ pockets.”
According to Lewis, Twentieth Century Fox, as it was then known, paid $250,000 for the option to make “The Blind Side” a movie, which he split 50-50 with the Tuohy family. The Tuohys have said they split their share evenly, including with Oher. After taxes and agent fees, Lewis said, his half was around $70,000. Fox, however, never made the movie. (According to Lewis, the studio had thought Julia Roberts would be interested in the film, but she wasn’t.) Instead, Lewis said, Alcon, a small production company backed by Tuohy’s neighbor, FedEx CEO Fred Smith, stepped in. Instead of paying the actors large salaries, Lewis said, they were offered a share of the profits. Lewis said his deal provided him a share of the movie’s net profits, too. Warner Bros. distributed the movie.
According to Lewis, the film made around half a billion dollars, but the equity stake in the movie was not as lucrative as it would appear. In fact, he said, he had called his own representatives at Creative Artists Agency over the years, following the movie’s success, asking about his share of the profits.
Lewis said that ultimately after agent fees and taxes, he and the Tuohy family received around $350,000 each from the profits of the movie. Lewis said the Tuohys planned to share the royalties among the family members, including Oher, but Oher began declining his royalty checks, Lewis said. Lewis said he believed the Tuohy family had deposited Oher’s share in a trust fund for Oher’s son. Additionally, Lewis said that two years ago Oher called him to ask about a speaking tour to make money discussing the book. Lewis raised the idea to his agent, but nothing came of it.
“What I feel really sad about is I watched the whole thing up close,” Lewis said. “They showered him with resources and love. That he’s suspicious of them is breathtaking. The state of mind one has to be in to do that — I feel sad for him.”
This is journalistic malpractice and everyone should be extremely suspicious of Lewis’s books and reporting now. Lewis completely glosses over the lies about adoption and the fact that the conservatorship was never removed after Oher graduated from Ole Miss. Surely, if the argument was “the conservatorship was just a way to work around the NCAA booster rules,” then the jig would be up once Oher graduated? But no, the Tuohys never removed it, because that would mean that they would have to admit that they lied to Oher about adopting him, and that they scammed him out of his life rights. As for all of the talk about who made what from the film… like, I would halfway believe that the Tuohys got screwed out of their backend, except they’ve lied about literally everything else, so…
In case you need more evidence that Lewis is parroting the Tuohys’ line, people dug up this clip of Lewis being mind-numbingly racist about Oher and his intelligence. One of Oher’s complaints was that the Tuohys promoted a version of his life in which he was stupid or mentally deficient. He was not.
Michael Oher disliked being portrayed as 'dumb' in the #Blindside film.
Where did that stigma around Oher originate?
Listen to the author of the Blindside book – Michael Lewis – speak of Oher's academic achievements to a group at Google.
Full talk: https://t.co/IfBQgaDFN2 pic.twitter.com/cYT8D5DVD2
— Nancy French (@NancyAFrench) August 15, 2023
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
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- Sean, SJ and Leigh Anne Tuohy of The Blind Side attend the New York Premiere of “The Heat” on June 23,2013 at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City. The movie stars Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy, Demian Bichir, Marlon Wayans, Joey McIntyre, Jessica Chaffin, Jamie Denbo, Nate Corddry, Steve Bannos, Spoken Reasons and Adam Ray. photo by Robin Platzer/ Twin Images/ LFI,Image: 545441124, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Photoshot sales@photoshot.com London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 917 704 9816 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: Robin Platzer/ Twin Images/ LFI / Twin Images / Avalon
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- author of the book Michael Lewis arriving at The New York Premiere of “The Blind Side” on November 17, 2009 at The Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City. Picture by,Image: 547137795, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Photoshot – sales@photoshot.com London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Florida: +1 239 689 1883 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: Robin Platzer/Twin Images / Twin Images / Avalon
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- -Hollywood, CA – 11/12/2015 The Big Short Closing Night Gala Screening AFI Fest 2015 -PICTURED: Tabitha Soren, Michael Lewis -PHOTO by: Sara De Boer/startraksphoto.com -SDL_5733 Startraks Photo New York, NY For licensing please call 212-414-9464 or email sales@startraksphoto.com Featuring: Tabitha Soren, Michael Lewis Where: Hollywood, California, United States When: 12 Nov 2015 Credit: Sara De Boer/startraksphoto.com
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- February 9, 2011: Baltimore Ravens player Michael Oher appears on the PIX 11Morning News to promote his new book ‘Beat the Odds’ in New York City. Credit: Roger Wong/INFphoto.com Ref: infusny-146|sp| Featuring: Michael Oher Where: New York City, New York, United States When: 09 Feb 2011 Credit: Roger Wong/INFphoto.com
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- February 9, 2011: Baltimore Ravens player Michael Oher appears on the PIX 11Morning News to promote his new book ‘Beat the Odds’ in New York City. Credit: Roger Wong/INFphoto.com Ref: infusny-146|sp| Featuring: Michael Oher Where: New York City, New York, United States When: 09 Feb 2011 Credit: Roger Wong/INFphoto.com
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- November 17, 2009: Sean Tuohy, Sean Tuohy, Jr., Leigh Anne Tuohy, and Collins Tuohy attending the New York premiere of ‘The Blind Side’ on in New York City. Credit: B. Ach/INFevents.com Ref.: infusny-84 Featuring: Sean Tuohy, Jr., Leigh Anne Tuohy, Collins Tuohy Where: New York City, New York, United States When: 25 Jun 2009 Credit: B. Ach/INFevents.com
So he was in on it basically. That’s what I am getting from what he said. He and the Touhys profited off of Oher and lying about his intellectual abilities. Sounds about white.
I’ve taught the children of the elite, middle-class students, and working-class students of all backgrounds and can comfortably say that the biggest lie white people tell themselves is that they are intellectually superior to any other group. It’s just one of the many falsehoods underpinning white supremacy. The smug laughter of the Google audience indicts society at large.
I once taught many D1 college athletes, many of whom went to the olympics &/or played professional sports. These students wake up at dawn to work out, go to classes, and then practice in the evening. They work as hard, or often much harder, than almost any other group of students (excepting those working to pay tuition). One of my black male students went to the Super Bowl. He remains one of the most gifted students I’ve ever encountered. He’s also a philanthropist.
Michael Lewis is a bigot.
I initially blamed John Lee Hancock for writing the script and directing the movie but this Michael Lewis guy seems to be on equal level with the Tuohys. He’s extremely biased against Black athletes that go to D1 colleges.
The thing is, Michael Lewis is a big deal as a non-fiction writer (you notice his agent is CAA). I hope this tanks his career.
I remember watching that movie and thinking, ‘gosh they think that kid is stupid’. Not even uneducated or finding his feet or growing as a person. They really went out of their way to show that he was dumb and needed them. What a terrible way to portray someone you call family and who has made a name and a career for himself on the back of his own talent.
Just UGH. What a grossly racist garbage person. Whenever white people react to their own racism by calling the victims sad and being shocked and breath fakingly sad I just want to scream at the injustice of it all. Like where to begin even teaching your close minded, averse to taking any responsibility for your trashy racist behavior self. I hope Sandra bullock is aware of what is happening. I hope she funds the fight for getting Oher justice in the form of monetary compensation because our legal system only does the right thing when you have money.
“ I hope she funds the fight for getting Oher justice in the form of monetary compensation”
This gentleman is a multimillionaire following his NFL career. How about we leave Sandra alone as she grieves, let him stand up for himself as he appears very capable of doing, and not demand another white woman step in to “save” him?
So you want Sandra to be the white savior again? There’s no evidence Michael is broke and can’t finance his own lawyer. If he wins he can make the Tuohys pay his legal feels.
Right @JESS. Another white woman to step in a save him, again? Let’s digest how one never saved him but took from him. There’s no evidence of a white woman saving how Period. It’s funny how white women want to protect each other and not what’s right.
@ACB
Go back and reread. I was referring to Sandra playing Leigh Anne. Also your assumption that I’m white is ridiculous and incorrect.
There’s no need for Sandra to step in on his behalf. Michael is a 37 year old millionaire and he’s married. He doesn’t need Sandra to do anything for him.
Leave Sandra out of this.
Lewis is basically saying that Michael Oher should be grateful for what the Tuohy’s did to him. Terrible. The Tuohy’s saw him as a meal ticket. I think Ole Miss should also be investigated to find out if they collided with the Tuohy’s.
We need to talk more about these evangelical “adoptions” which apparently are a very big thing right now among white evangelicals. It’s the next step on the white saviour track.
100%
It was a thing for a while, in evangelical circles, to say that you could solve racism by adopting Black children and other children of color–and assimilate them culturally, I guess, without having to deal with Black adults, or the structures (like schools, housing, policing and foster care) that perpetuate racism. Now, with the rise of Trump, I’m guessing they’re less interested in pretending to solve racism, when they can actually just revel in it.
That clip of Lewis diminishing Oher’s academic achievements (Lewis: “…Michael making the Dean’s List says more about Ole Miss than it does about Michael…” crowd: hardeeharharhar) is just vile.
No. The Dean’s List anywhere is an achievement.
If you are a white man who came from a wealthy family that sent you to a private prep school, maybe think about how you got where you did.
Gross.
That entire clip was disgusting. What a smug, arrogant POS this man is. Until now I’d actually enjoyed his work, but this is too much.
Yes I really enjoy Some of Lewis’ non fiction writing mostly about financial scams and malfeasance. I didn’t know he wrote the blind side which I thought was a trashy insulting movie and from the Very beginning I remember Oher speaking against it as made up fiction.
OT @ Kaiser. It’s “TOE the line” not “tow.”
Also the Tuohys are awful.
I thought Michael Lewis was a highly successful and respected journalist and author of best-selling non-fiction investigative journalism tomes. The only thing that I’ve read from him was a Vanity Fair article about Obama which I thought was insightful and fair.
He’s a really excellent writer, so it makes me sad that he hasn’t done any self-examination regarding perpetuating racist attitudes about Michael Oher.
Lewis also wrote Moneyball, a surprisingly interesting book about the increasing role of statistics in the economics of baseball told via the Oakland A’s and their manager, that was actually written a few years earlier than the Blind Side. It too was made into a successful, Oscar nominated movie (screenplay by Steve Zallian and Aaron Sorkin), though a couple of years after the Blind Side. It was a good movie, though in retrospect, considering the actors in the three major roles – Brad Pitt (who also produced), Jonah Hill, and Chris Pratt – ugh.
Lewis is a great writer, and it’s so disappointing to see who he really is as a person and the part he played in how negatively Michael Oher was portrayed to the world.
I’ve enjoyed books and articles by Michael Lewis over the years. But when I searched out what he actually said in Blind Side I was appalled at how hard he worked plumping up his buddy Tuohy. According to other articles with a more neutral tone, the actual story is that Michael was already getting aid and comfort from other friends’ families pre-Tuohy. Another friend’s father helped him apply to Briarcrest Christian School – which is where he came to the attention of Tuohy. His GPA was only slightly below cutoff for attendance at Ole Miss, so he improved it with BYU distance learning. How many of us would have stellar GPAs if we had to ride two buses to get to school? And as others have ably pointed out, the time and effort to be a top athlete should never be minimized – but the clip shows Lewis & co doing just that.
The fact that Michael Lewis attended Princeton might have tempered innate Southern tendencies, but he did grow up comfortably well-off and white in New Orleans and continues to exhibit white privilege. I’ve now recognized a dominant characteristic in his writing is mocking others. The best thing for me personally to come out of this story was based on another Celebitchy comment, so now I’m listening to audiobook “Biased” by Jennifer L Eberhardt, PhD.
“The fact that Michael Lewis attended Princeton might have tempered innate Southern tendencies . . . ”
Bwahahahahahahahahahah!! Er…nope. Princeton has one long, ignoble racist history the school is only now beginning to really grapple with. There’s a reason it got a rep as Southerners’ favorite Yankee college. Slaveholders were the majority of the founding trustees, for starters. Confederate rich men sent their heirs there (if the boys insisted on going North) because they were made to feel comfortable–their own little piece of Dixie in the Yankee wilderness. I would imagine going there only reinforced Lewis’ bigotry and privilege.
http://knownandheard.princeton.edu/
Thanks educating me on Princeton as Southerners’ favorite Yankee college. Most white Americans share settler colonialist roots, i.e. Injuns bad.
This is so upsetting! Everything about this just made me so sad.
I am not american and had only known the movie. I thought Michael WAS diferently abled. I am sure the film showed him being not uneducated but mentally challenged and learning about sports helped him at school. White savior or not, it was a very hopeful story that this young boy found a family and a life calling playing sports.
That they could do this to him is so heartless. I pray that he gets the healing he deserves, because the trauma of this probably hurts more than the money part.
This keeps getting more sad and more racist. That poor man, my heart breaks for him.
There definitely is a history of certain universities, especially in the football loving South,bending and breaking rules to get athletes into college and then show-horning them into degree programs meant to be easier for them to complete so that they can on their team. The problem with Lewis’ answer here is that he singles out “poor Black” students multiple times as if there aren’t also a bunch of white athletes getting helped with this as well(especially in football which is a much whiter sport than basketball)
Another problem is the assumption that just because Michael had academic issues in his younger years due to the tumultuous upbringing he had that saw him go to around a dozen schools that doesn’t mean he’s not intelligent and didnt care about learning as evidenced by the facts that 1) his IQ score apparently went up 20-30 from his initial tests to the one he took in college and 2) he chose to stay in college for his final year to graduate while making the honor roll for 2 straight years even though he would have been a top draft prospect had he chose to forego his eligibility and enter the NFL at the end of his junior year.
Wow, what an ass. Being an athlete and going to school is hard! I tried it and had to quit athletics after it became too much for me.
The way they treated Michael is shameful. Like he’s a bumbling charity case, and not someone who was already accomplished before all these white “helpers” decided to “save him.” I’ve always hated that movie and even more so now. Glad this stuff is coming out so people will stop making these dumb movies.
God these people are crooked and dumb. Complaining the case is about profits. Of course Ohr should have substantial profits. It’s his life story.
Michael Lewis writes about economics, usually about economic scandals. I’m not going to defend what he says about Michael Oher. And that video looks older. But Lewis is right in his criticisms of college football programs and recruiting. Plenty of college players have been used and dumped by colleges. That’s why college players want to unionize and be considered professionals. Their amateur status is a way for colleges to exploit their talent for profit, leaving the majority who don’t go on to the pros with nothing. Hoop Dreams made the same point.
I’m disappointed in Lewis. I’ve enjoyed his writing.
Everytime I hear about this movie I think of that skit Peyton Manning did for the ESPY’s that’s eerily accurate to this entire situation. In retrospect it makes me wonder if he was aware of this as well and this was his way of telling people at the time. He has ties to Ole Miss since most of his family went there and went to Newman (the same prep school that Michael Lewis and Sean Tuohy went to much earlier than him).
20th Century Fox was going to make the movie but wanted Julie Roberts. So a movie company owned by Fred Smith (Fed Ex) made it. Fred’s son is married to the Tuohys’ daughter. Am I the only person who thinks this is shady? By the way, I am an Ole Miss fan