Bullock won an Oscar for hit 2009 movie now at the center of a family controversy
'The Five': The man behind 'The Blind Side' says the story is a lie
'The Five' co-hosts react to the NFL star alleging his family lied about adoption and made millions.
Fans fervently defended actress Sandra Bullock after some social media users called on "The Blind Side" star to return her Oscar for her portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy in the hit 2009 film.
The Tuohy family has come under scrutiny after former NFL player Michael Oher alleged the family, which took him in as a homeless teenager, never actually adopted him but profited off of his inspirational story through the film starring Bullock. Oher claims the family made "millions" in royalties from the film, but he received "nothing" for the story based on his life.
Oher, who was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft after a successful career at Ole Miss, filed a petition in a Tennessee court on Monday to end the 2004 conservatorship, alleging he learned in February 2023 that the Tuohys had never legally adopted him.
The news made some social media users go after the A-list actress, who won multiple awards for her portrayal of the no-nonsense mother figure to Oher, portrayed by actor Quinton Aaron.
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Actress Sandra Bullock attends the premiere of "The Blind Side" at the Ziegfeld Theatre on November 17, 2009, in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images) (Getty Images)
"So Sandra Bullock should have to give back her Oscar right, and man do we need to start checking these good feeling stories. The parents blocked $300 in earnings the movie from him getting any of it and gave the money to their real children? WOOOOOOOW!" one person on X, formerly known as Twitter, demanded.
"I feel like Sandra Bullock need to come make a statement atp like I need an apology," another person insisted.
"You might let Sandra Bullock off the hook about The Blind Side, but not me," one person commented before bashing Bullock for winning an Oscar playing a "white savior." An op-ed in MSNBC by Professor Robyn Autry didn't attack Bullock personally but assailed "The Blind Side" for playing into "the mainstream's racial fantasies."
Fans leapt to defend the actress and called for critics to leave her alone, particularly since Bullock recently lost her longtime partner to ALS.
MICHAEL OHER, SUBJECT OF ‘THE BLIND SIDE,’ ‘GOT PLAYED’ BY TUOHY FAMILY, FORMER NFL PLAYER SAYS
Sandra Bullock received multiple awards for her portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy in the film "The Blind Side," about former NFL player Michael Oher. (Photo by Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage) (Photo by Jeff Siner/Charlotte Observer/Tribune News Service via Getty Images) (Getty Images)
"Wait... People are giving Sandra Bullock s–t over the Blindside stuff? That's real? People are out here believing Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw adopted a kid to cheat him out of his money? I'm pretty close to giving up on people," reporter Josh Moon lamented.
"Kinda sucks to use Sandra Bullock's face for all this horrible stuff and not the ACTUAL lady who did it," a television producer commented.
"Can we leave Sandra Bullock alone for a second? She was an actress who accepted a job for a movie that was based on a ‘true story’. It’s not her fault none of it was true. Oher himself just found out he wasn’t officially adopted this year. Bullock’s partner just died of ALS," another person argued.
"Y’all need to leave Sandra Bullock alone. The woman is grieving! And ain’t got nothing to do w that mess," another fan demanded.
Quinton Aaron also defended his former co-star to TMZ Sports.
"Sandra Bullock didn't have anything to do with the real story that we're reading as of right now," he said. "She gave a brilliant performance, and that shouldn't be tarnished for something that had nothing to do with her."
(L-R) Collins Tuohy, Sean Tuohy Jr. Leigh Anne Tuohy and Sean Tuohy attend the premiere of "The Blind Side" at the Ziegfeld Theatre on November 17, 2009, in New York City. (Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)
An attorney who represents Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy denied Oher's claims about earnings from "The Blind Side," saying they had given Oher "an equal cut of every penny received" from the film, which grossed more than $300 million.
The family's attorney also claimed Oher threatened to "plant" a negative story in the press about the Tennessee family unless they paid him $15 million.
"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 idea that the Tuohys have ever sought to profit off Mr. Oher is not only offensive, it is transparently ridiculous," the attorney said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Sandra Bullock's publicist did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Fox News' Paulina Dedaj contributed to this story.
Kristine Parks is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. Read more.
