The Blind Side actor Quinton Aaron defended his former co-star Sandra Bullock after several fans claimed she should give her Oscar back following the Michael Oher lawsuit.
On Monday, Oher, 37, filed a petition claiming that Leigh Anne Tuohy and Sean Tuohy placed him under a conservatorship, rather than adopting him, and have enriched themselves at his expense.
The 37-year-old former tackle has asked for the conservatorship to be terminated, along with requesting a full accounting of the money earned from the use of his name and story.
His story was made into the 2009 sports biopic The Blind Side, which starred Aaron as Oher, Bullock as Leigh Anne Tuohy, and Tim McGraw as Sean Tuohy.
The movie was nominated for two Academy Awards in 2010, including best picture, and best actress for The Proposal actress – which she won.
Following the bombshell lawsuit, some have declared for Bullock – who recently lost her partner Bryan Randall after a private three-year battle with ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) – to return her Academy Award, however, many came to Bullock’s defence, acknowledging that she is not to blame for the situation.
Praising her flawless role in the movie, actor Aaron told TMZ: ‘She gave a brilliant performance, and that shouldn’t be tarnished for something that had nothing to do with her.
‘To make a statement like that doesn’t make any sense. Sandra Bullock didn’t have anything to do with the real story that we’re reading as of right now.’
The lawsuit claims that each of the four members of the Tuohy family were paid $225,000 (£177,000) plus 2.5% per cent of the film’s ‘defined net proceeds’, while Oher – who won the Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens in 2013 – received nothing.
However, the Tuohy’s have now hit back against Oher’s claims via their lawyer, who branded them ‘hurtful and absurd’.
In a lengthy statement shared with the PA news agency Martin Singer, attorney for Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, said Oher had attempted to ‘run this play before’.
‘Anyone with a modicum of common sense can see that the outlandish claims made by Michael Oher about the Tuohy family are hurtful and absurd,’ the statement read.
‘The idea that the Tuohy’s have ever sought to profit off Mr Oher is not only offensive, it is transparently ridiculous.
‘Through hard work and good fortune, Sean and Leigh Anne have made an extraordinary amount of money in the restaurant business.
‘The notion that a couple worth hundreds of millions of dollars would connive to withhold a few thousand dollars in profit participation payments from anyone – let alone from someone they loved as a son – defies belief.’
Metro.co.uk has reached out to Sandra Bullock’s reps for comment.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
Source: Read Full Article