Over the past week, some have called for Sandra Bullock to return the Academy Award she won for playing Leigh Anne Tuohy in 2009’s The Blind Side – and not because she didn’t deserve it. Rather, the outcry stems from former pro football player Michael Oher claiming that Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy never actually adopted him and instead used the story for financial gains, a discovery he made nearly 15 years after The Blind Side came out.
So, why are people calling for Sandra Bullock to return her Oscar for The Blind Side, which she won by beating out the likes of Meryl Streep and Helen Mirren? We’re afraid the attempts to find any logic within the situation have come up with absolutely nothing, since obviously (or so we thought…) the reception of The Blind Side and the numerous accolades Sandra Bullock received (also including a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors guild Award) have absolutely nothing to do with the case involving the real-life Tuohy family. Objectively, however, some may see it as Bullock taking advantage just as the Tuohy parents have allegedly done, even though there is no evidence that she was aware of any of this part of the story.
Quinton Aaron, who played Michael Oher opposite Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side, has come to his co-star’s defense on this front, saying, “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…She gave a brilliant performance…And that shouldn’t be tarnished for something that had nothing to do with her.”
Earlier this week, Oher filed a petition to seek monetary compensation for the alleged actions of the Tuohy family. Sean rebutted, saying members of his family made as much money off of The Blind as Oher and that they were not legally allowed to adopt him because he was over 18.
In 2010, Sandra Bullock became the first actress to win both the Oscar and the Razzie (for Worst Actress in All About Steve) in the same weekend, even being one of the few people to accept the industry dishonor in person. She is currently on a hiatus from acting.
What do you make of people saying Sandra Bullock should return her The Blind Side statue? Is there a case to be made at all? Let us know your thoughts.