Fourteen years after she starred in “The Blind Side,” Sandra Bullock finds herself inadvertently ensnared in the legal drama surrounding the family on which the movie is based.
Directed by John Lee Hancock, “The Blind Side” tells the story of Black NFL player Michael Oher, who had been taken in by an affluent white couple, Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy, after living in foster homes during his teenage years.
Though “The Blind Side” has been criticized as an example of a “white savior” story, Bullock and Tim McGraw received widespread acclaim for their portrayal of Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy. In 2010, Bullock won an Academy Award for her performance.
Earlier this week, the real-life Oher ― who played for the Tennessee Titans, the Baltimore Ravens and the Carolina Panthers before retiring in 2017 ― filed a lawsuit alleging that the Tuohys never legally adopted him, as depicted in the film.
He also accused the couple of tricking him into signing papers that made them his conservators and then using their power to make millions off of his story.
Not surprisingly, the news has prompted many on social media to demand that Bullock return her Oscar.
“I think Leigh Anne Tuohy needs to be in jail and Sandra Bullock needs to give that Oscar back cause that whole movie was just more white savior BS anyhow,” one person wrote.
Added another: “So Sandra Bullock should have to give back her Oscar right, and man do we need to start checking these good feeling stories.”
Others, however, have urged compassion for the “Miss Congeniality” actor, whose longtime partner, Bryan Randall, died earlier this month.
“What we NOT gone do is come for Sandra Bullock,” one person wrote. “Direct all that energy to the real criminals. LEIGH ANNE and SEAN TUOHY I don’t wanna hear it.”
“Blaming ‘The Blind Side’ star Sandra Bullock for Leigh Anne Tuohy’s alleged exploitation of Michael Oher’s story makes about as much sense as holding ‘Oppenheimer’ lead actor Cillian Murphy to personal account for the destruction of Hiroshima,” wrote another.
A representative for Bullock did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
However, one person who is firmly in Bullock’s corner is actor Quinton Aaron, who played Oher in the film.
“Sandra did nothing wrong. That’s my girl and she is going through a really tough time right now,” he told The New York Post in an interview published Tuesday. “I really feel like they should leave her alone and stop trying to come at her.”
He went on to note: “Stop trying to come for Sandra because you’re going to make me mad and they are going to have to come through me!”
George Pimentel via Getty Images