The fallout from the legal dispute between former NFL star Michael Oher and the Tuohy family has spread to cast members from The Blind Side.
Oher, an offensive lineman who played eight seasons in the NFL, has sued Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, the couple who took him in as a teen. Their relationship formed the basis of the hit 2009 film. ESPN reported Monday that Oher has sued Leigh Anne Tuohy and Sean Tuohy, alleging that they never adopted him, but instead tricked him into giving them legal authority over his business affairs.
That allowed them to earn millions in royalties from the film, Oher claims, while he received nothing.
The Tuohys have publicly disputed those allegations, but the controversy has now spread to The Blind Side cast. Fox News Digital reports that some critics are calling for Sandra Bullock to return the Academy Award she won for Best Actress in portraying Leigh Anne Tuohy.
Quinton Aaron, who portrayed Oher in the movie, quickly defended his co-star.
“There’s a lot of hate being spread around nowadays. And there’s you know, someone asked me, there’s people saying things that, ‘Oh maybe you should strip Sandra of her title … her Oscar.’ I’m like, ‘For what?'” Aaron said (via Fox News Digital).
“There’s nothing that says she had anything to do with this. She was an actress who got hired to do a job, and she did it so well that she was rewarded for it. Why would you take that reward just because of what’s going on today, 14 years later?”
Oher said the criticism of Bullock comes at an especially bad time in her life, as she just lost her longtime partner, Bryan Randall. He died Aug. 5 after a long battle with ALS.
“I wish they would just leave her alone because, you know, she’s going through her own things right now, you know with the love she just lost. You know, she suffered a great loss,” Aaron said
Aaron has spoken to other media outlets in the wake of the controversy. He’s been quick to point out he’s not taking sides.
“I really feel like being a part of telling your story in this industry and trying to be as hands-on as possible in the process is definitely the way to go,” Aaron said (via The Daily Mail). “I’m not posting blame on anyone or saying someone should have did this, or someone should have been there. I’m just saying, look, moving forward. … I think that all parties that are relevant to the story need to be involved in the making of the story from beginning to finish.
“But having met both parties, you know, obviously, my heart breaks for the situation …”