Tuohy Family documents show Michael Oher texts with '$15M demand' and 'media ultimatum'

Documents provided by the Tuohy family indicate that Michael Oher, the former NFL offensive lineman featured in the hit movie "The Blind Side," allegedly demanded $15 million from them for his believed portion of royalty checks from the film.

The claim suggested that Oher would engage in extortion through social media if the requested sum was not met. Documents that were recovered from TMZ revealed text messages that he allegedly sent to the family.

"If something isn't resolved this Friday, I'm going to go ahead and tell the world how I was robbed by my supposed to be parents. That's the deadline... Think how it will look when it comes out," said the text.

Initially, Oher demanded $10 million from the family. After they rejected his initial request, he allegedly responded: "It was 10 million. Now I want 15 after taxes."

Last week, the family removed any connection to Oher on their website, where they book public speaking engagements. Oher will also be deducted from any promotional materials used to secure any engagements in the future.

Oher initially claimed that the Tuohy family falsely adopted him, put him under a legal conservatorship since he was a teen, and withheld funds meant for his bank accounts. ESPN shared a legal court document statement revealing Oher received $138,311 across 10 separate payments as his share of the profits from the movie.

The statement read: "By agreement between the family members, including Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, their children SJ and Collins, and Michael Oher, the book and movie proceeds were to be split five ways." This statement matched the Tuohy family's original claims.

The document showed tax forms proving the Tuohys received more than $400,000 from entertainment companies like Left Tackle Pictures, Alcon Film Fund, and Twentieth Century Fox. Copies of checks and bank statements showed deposits to one of Oher's children's bank accounts.

In his initial petition filed in Tennessee, Oher claimed that Leigh Anne Tuohy, Sean Tuohy, and their biological children received a payment of $225,000 and a 2.5% share of the film's "defined net proceeds." In a separate contract signed by Oher in 2007, he allegedly gave up the rights to his story without receiving any payment in return.

The Tuohy family hit back at claims they had taken funds, branding Oher's accusations as false. Sean Tuohy stated his belief that Oher received an equal share of the film's profits, with everyone pocketing $14,000 each. A judge in Memphis officially ended the conservatorship in September but still demanded a financial accounting to track all the money.

"The Blind Side" was released in 2009 and became a box office success, grossing over $330 million. The movie is also popular on DVD and Blu-Ray, with 3.96 million units sold worldwide.

The movie continues to generate significant revenue in Hollywood beyond its release date. According to The New York Times, Sandra Bullock, who played the character of Leigh Anne in the film, earned $5 million for her role.