this is "nightline." >> tonight -- >> that's good work by michael ohr. >> michael ohr, the super bowl champ whose story is told on "the blind side". >> never had one before. >> what, a room to yourself? >> a bed. >> speaking out for the first time since the lawsuit he filed against the family who took him in as a teenager. what he's been saying all along what they cost him then. was it annoying that the movie portrayed it as if you had to learn to play football. >> and now. >> he is telling a very painful story, a story of being duped by the twoeys. >> plus, passing the torch. >> are you ready to elect kamala

harris and tim walz? >> taking the stage at the dnc with a very different message than he planned just weeks ago. >> i promise i'll be the best volunteer harris and walz have ever seen. >> sacrificing his own political future, handing the baton to his vice president, kamala harris. >> we are moving forward. >> when we fight, we win. >> and remembering the king of daytime, phil donahue. >> "nightline" will be right back. (vo) for over 50 years purina cat chow has been helping cats feel at home. with trusted nutrition, no wonder it's the number one dry cat food in america. come home to cat chow. what's up, you seem kinda sluggish today. things aren't really movin'. you could use some metamucil. metamucil's psyllium fiber helps keep your digestive system moving

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get the fastest connection to paris with xfinity. good evening. thank you for joining us. tonight, "the blind side" introduced millions to the story of michael ohr, a high school football phenom. he would end up earning millions, but ohr alleges there is a dark side to the couple's generosity. >> never had one before. >> what, a room to yourself? >> a bed. >> the blind side, a hit movie about overcoming adversity. >> you protect his blind side. when you look at him, you think of me. how you have my back, how you have his. >> reporter: based on the

relationship between the twoey familied on michael ohr chronicling his journey as a homeless high school football star to the nfl. the story at the center of a legal battle between the twohy family who took him in as a teen and the man whose story inspired it. >> it was seen as such a great thing through the lens of the camera, the movie, and the hollywood story line. and now according to michael ohr, we're hearing a very, very different side of the story. >> the former nfl star and super bowl champ now speaking out for the first time since filing a lawsuit last year against leanne and sean twohy, or opening up to "the new york times" about the complex ongoing court case in which he alleges the tennessee couple took advantage of him, depriving him of millions. >> he is telling a very painful story, a story of being duped by the twohys. a story of losing out financially on his name, image

and likeness. >> reporter: homeless at the age of 18, ohr said he thought he was signing adoption papers with the family, only to later learn he consented to a conservatorship until the judge end ordered the end of it last september. >> leanne, she out the me -- she was the first one that ever tell me she loved me. i never heard that before. >> telling the "new york times," "the first time i heard i love you," it was sean and leanne saying it. when that happens at 18, you become vulnerable. you let your guard down. and then you get everything stripped from you. it turns into a hurt feeling. adding, i don't want to make this about race, but what i found out is nobody says i love you more than coaches and white people. when black people say it, they mean it. the 38-year-old saying the portrayal of him as, quote, stupid in the book that inspired the movie potentially cost him millions when he began his nfl career. >> the baltimore ravens select

michael ohr. >> ohr saying the nfl people were wondering if i could read a playbook. i first sad down with the twohys and met michael during the height of the oscar buzz was it annoying that the movie portrayed it as if you had to learn to play football. >> that part right there, it really god me because it wasn't anything, it wasn't never like that. >> ohr now saying after seeing the movie, he felt it was like a comedy about someone else, and on social media, i started seeing stuff that i'm dumb, i'm stupid. every article about me mentioned the blind side like it was part of my name. sandra bullock won a best actress oscar for her role in the blockbuster movie as the family make trademark leigh anne. >> michael ohr cannot move on. a man so well-known and has to deal with the burden of so many people thinking he is not smart, he is not well educated and how that has impacted his life, his life in business, his life as

parent and the life of his kids. >> ohr went on the have a successful career, earning more than $34 million during his nine seasons in the nfl, winning a super bowl ring with the ravens in 2013. and authoring three books, one of which was a "new york times" best-seller about his life. ohr has been open about his difficult childhood, growing up in the memphis projects is one of 12 kids whose mom struggled with drug addiction and father was in and out of prison. >> i've never really had a father figure in my life. >> and what your mom? >> she wasn't really around too much. >> at around the age of 11, he went into foster care, becoming homeless at times before several friends helped him with places to crash. a neighborhood mentor helped oher get into the memphis private school. then just before his senior year, he met the twohys. >> do you look at him and think of him as your son? >> i got to the point i think i birthed him.

he takes great offense if people don't think of him as the family. >> the twoeys were open. >> michael, why don't you -- do you want to move in, honey? do you want to stay here? and after five or six months, it was like he was never not here. and i looked at my husband one night, i think we need to legally adopt hill. >> but oher says that never happened. "the blind side" went on to earn more than $300 million worldwide. the twoeys, who have two children, vehemently deny any wrongdoing, saying each family member received equal parts of the film's profits, including oher, who they say received just over $138,000 in ten payments. oher says a lawyer wasn't present to represent him in this agreement. and they also claim that oher in recent years has attempted to extort them with menacing texts. their son s.j. telling barstool sports last year, it's not the first time oher made demands of the family.

>> back in 2021, if you guys give me this much, i won't go public with things. >> the touhy family attorney declining to comment on oher's interview. in a local paper in memphis, sean touhy said it's upsetting to think we're going to make money off any of our children. but we're going love michael at 37 just like we loved him at 16. >> our thanks to deborah. when we come back, vips take the page and president joe biden passes the torch. memorable moments from the first night of the democratic national convention. type 2 diabetes? discover the ozempic® tri-zone. ♪ ♪ i got the power of 3. i lowered my a1c, cv risk, and lost some weight. in studies, the majority of people reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. i'm under 7. ozempic® lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events such as stroke, heart attack, or death in adults also with known heart disease.

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welcome back. it might be kamala's convention, but tonight president joe biden was feeling the love at the dnc. cementing his legacy of a lifetime of service to his country, sacrificing his political future in further answer of what he called the deliverance of democracy and to avid cheerleader to the vice president he hopes will succeed him. democratic nominee for president kamala harris making her brief appearance on the first night of the convention, ready with her campaign. >> let us always remember when we fight, we win. >> harris also thanking president joe biden. >> joe, thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all you will continue to do, we are forever

grateful to you. >> the 46th president of the united states later introduced by his daughter ashley, receiving a standing ovation. >> we love joe! we love joe! >> the president focused on highlighting his administration's successes. >> more americans have peace of mind. that comes from having health insurance. more americans have health insurance today than ever before in american history. >> and supporting harris. >> she'll be a president we can all be proud of, and she will be a historic president who puts her stamp on america's future. >> a month ago, this was biden's dnc, before dropping out of the race and endorsing harris as the nominee. the latest polling showing harris five points ahead of donald trump nationally. even ahead of the former president in battleground states like arizona and north carolina. but harris trailing behind trump on key issues like the economy,

crime, and immigration. >> i am going to go with trump. >> some voters who spoke with my colleague martha raddatz say they're sticking with trump because of key issues. >> i don't think he is a nice person, but i think when he ran the country before, he did a great job. backed the military, backed the police, was hard on immigration. the economy was good. >> harris hasn't talked a lot about issues so far. that's going change this week. and a lot of this is about rebranding herself and resetting the race in terms of how voters are perceiving on these issues. >> tonight, famous supporters gathered to back her up. >> hello, chicago! >> from fictional president tony goldwyn of abc hit "scandal" fame to presidential candidate hillary clinton. ♪ and let the words fall out ♪ >> who received an energetic welcome from her party. >> kamala has the character, experience and vision to lead us

forward. [ applause ] >> clinton supporting the second woman to lead a majority party ticket. >> on the other side of that glass ceiling is kamala harris raising her hand and taking the oath of office as our 47th president of the united states. >> cheering inside the dnc tonight. >> not welcome here, not welcome here! >> but earlier chanting outside the dnc. >> all our people will be free! >> protesters breaking through fencing around the dnc convention site, opposing the administration's handling of the israel-hamas war. four people arrested. >> let them go, let them go! >> gaza on the mind of one uncommitted democratic delegate from michigan. rima speaking with martha. >> i do appreciate that vice

president harris is listening to us. it is still not what we need, especially we dent want to just hear words. we want to see action. we want to see policy. >> tonight, a banner saying "stop arming israel" unfurled during biden's speech. the president keeping the spotlight on the new democratic tickets. >> i promise i'll be the best volunteer harris and walz have ever seen. >> and delivering his swan song, putting lyrics from the patriotic hymn "american anthem". >> america, america, i gave my best to you. >> we're joined now by our powerhouse abc news political contributors, donna brazile and former rnc chair reince priebus. thank you both for joining us. donna, i want to start with you. this is not the speech president biden wanted to give, but he said he and kamala harris had an extraordinary four years.

he called her soon to be president kamala harris. this had to be a bittersweet night for president biden. are there lingering tensions? and is this now kamala harris' democratic party? >> you know, we went through a couple of days of what i call rough seas, but we came out of this what i call torrential rain with just a lot of optimism, joy, and what you see now and what you heard tonight is a party that is ready to continue to fight for the american people. look, this was not a farewell address. it was a call to action. joe biden is telling the american people that we want to finish the job of lowering the costs and making sure that we can have safe and affordable housing, you know, streets that are safe as well. so lowering the unemployment, i mean lowering the unemployment so that rages can rise. so this was a good night for the democrats, but we know we have three more nights and then 78 days to try to bring home the victory. >> reince, former president

trump is doing some counter programing out in key battleground states. it working for his campaign do you think? >> well, look, it's always hard to break through when the other side is doing their convention. you do your best to break in some of the stories that are out there. but everyone knows that this is the dnc's week. they've got their time to get it done. and they're going to do their best. but most importantly, kamala harris has to figure out a way the divorce herself from the biden agenda. so they put joe biden on monday night. put him in after 11:30 at night when almost every battleground state was asleep. and now they're going to move on to the rest tv show, which is the kamala harris show. and they got joe biden out of the way tonight. >> donna, hillary clinton got a rousing ovation tonight. back in 2016, a big part of her campaign was being the first female president, shattering that glass ceiling. we don't seem to hear that with vice president harris. why is that? >> because this is about the future of america, the future of

the country that we all love. this is not about trying to shatter anything but to bring opportunity to those who are still feeling the pain from covid and so many other things that we've had to cope with as americans. so this was an uplifting night. you're going see so many new speakers, new faces, fresh voices because the democratic party is going to start talking about america's future. >> reince, this week, the next four days belong to the dnc. the final question tonight is for you. mao that the race has tightened up, former president trump is on the attack, criticizing harris' proposed economic plan. but also he said he was better looking than her. what is the political vat. >> with that? >> i don't know what the strategy is with that. that doesn't matter. what does matter is the fact that at some point, kamala harris is going to have to answer for the fact that she was the deciding vote on things that created an enormous inflation,

high tax, food out of control. they're going to have to answer questions about the border. she was the vice president. she was president of the senate. and at some point, she is going to have to come down to earth and answer those questions. and i'm hoping that people like you are going to have a chance to ask her those questions. >> well, thank you both. we'll be with you again i'm sure this week as the dnc hold their convention in chicago. thank you both so much. we remember iconic talk show host phil donahue when we come back. if you're living with hiv, imagine being good to go without daily hiv pills. good to go unscripted. good to go on a whim. with cabenuva, there's no pausing for daily hiv pills. for adults who are undetectable, cabenuva is the only complete, long-acting hiv treatment you can get every other month. it's two injections from a healthcare provider. just 6 times a year. don't receive cabenuva if you're allergic to its ingredients, or if you're taking certain medicines,

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what's the definition of character to you? umm... would you be a superhero or a supervillain? if you could say one thing to big tobacco, what would it be? it's so important in this time of change that we reclaim our sacred ways. i had to open my eyes. you can't continue to do this. deep breath. i'd want to ask them “why?” (♪)

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♪ and finally tonight, remembering a true television legend, phil donahue. here is abc's david muir. >> reporter: there seemed to be no topic offlimits for phil donahue. for 29 years, his daytime talk show revolutionized the conversations americans were having on tv. >> they lowered the voltage down to 500 volts. >> the death penalty, aids epidemic, women's right, chernobyl. >> that is the unit that blew last april. >> reporter: the provocative guests and questions. >> what's going to happen? you're finessing me here.

>> reporter: the celebrities. >> how would you imitate john white? >> it's one line. >> all right, pilgrim. >> you're not upset if somebody comes up to you on the subway and says -- >> aren't you meryl streep. >> reporter: donahue often turning the microphone over to his live audience. >> you were very wonderful in the entertainment area. what led you to enter the field of politics? >> i'm still asking myself that. >> reporter: phil donahue died over the weekend at his home in manhattan. he was 88. tonight oprah winfrey saying there wouldn't have been an oprah show without phil donahue. she was a pioneer. >> would you kindly welcome marlo thomas. >> reporter: and his wife actress marlo thomas who turns out was a guest on his show before they married in 1980. saying as a man who spent his career loving his audiences i know he will be very touched. i hope you will continue to hold

close those you cherish most just as i was blessed to do with my beloved philip. >> along tway we entertained now and then too. >> our thanks to david. phil donahue was 88. that's "nightline" for this evening. catch full episodes on hulu. we'll see you right back here tomorrow. thanks for the company, america. good night. jaw dropping. the but do they really? do they see that crick in your neck? that ache in your heart?

will they see that funny little thing that wasn't there last year? a new bounce in your step? the way your retinal scan connects to your blood sugar? at kaiser permanente all of us work together to care for all that is you. [laughter and giggling] [laughter] [laughter and giggling]

got real serious for a moment. —okay. —whoa! [indistinct chatters] [laughter and giggling] [laughter and giggling] >> always live. abc seven news starts right now.

>> three separate fires igniting in the south bay. all around the same time. we are live with the investigation in the san jose foothills tonight. >> plus america. i gave my best to you. >> our other top story. president biden passing the torch. a powerful speech closing out night. one of the democratic national convention filled with fighting spirit as he lifts up vice president kamala harris. good evening. thank you for joining us. i'm dan ashley and i'm ama daetz. >> we start with the dnc where it hasn't even been a full month since president biden decided to leave the race. and tonight, he again reiterated that he loves his job, but loves his country more. >> the dnc featured the heavy hitters of the democratic party past, present, and they hope future speeches from vice president kamala harris and hillary clinton brought deafening cheers. but president biden was the centerpiece tonight for 50 years, like many of you, i've given my heart and

soul to our nation, and i've been blessed a million times to return to the support of the american people. reporter the president's message echoed the way he started his campaign, saying, our democracy hangs in the balance. he also acknowledged pro-palestinian protests, both inside the convention and out. >> abc seven news anchor julian glover is in chicago with the big moments from the beginning of this historic week. >> dan and ama, good evening and absolutely electrified crowd for night. one of the dnc for this who's who of elected democrats from all over the country and with that, california was well represented. the theme for night one, all focusing on for the people. all of this for this legacy. cementing night for president joe biden. and there was even this surprise. vice president kamala harris surprised her party, making a quick appearance for night one of the democratic national convention. and i want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible president, joe biden

the night was about cementing president biden's legacy, who just a month ago made the historic decision to end his run for reelection. california elected officials were well represented. california senator laphonza butler, showering her longtime friend and ally with praise. you see, kamala harris has always understood the assignment. >> no matter if she were the underdog, no matter the bullying or the name calling. she never doubted that our best was still ahead. >> golden state warriors head coach steve kerr delivered this jab at harris's opponent, former president donald trump. >> in the words of the great steph curry, we can tell donald trump night night. >> one of the greatest ovations of the night was for former secretary of state and 2016

democratic presidential nominee hillary clinton. this is when we stand up. >> this is when we break through. the future is here. >> it's in our grasp. let's go win it. >> capping off the night was president joe biden handing over the convention and the party to his vice president, as he made the case for why kamala harris should be the next president of the united states? are you ready to vote for democracy and for america? >> let me ask you, are you ready to elect kamala harris and tim waltz again? >> an absolutely electric crowd for night one of the dnc. as the party continues to unify around the harris walz ticket. tuesday's theme, a bold vision for america's future the headliner. they don't get bigger than this. the former first lady and the former president, michelle and barack obama, of course, will have it all covered for you right here on abc seven news for now. reporting fr