Did 'The Blind Side’ family lie about adopting Michael Oher? Ex-NFL player files lawsuit against Tuohy family
SHELBY COUNTY, TENNESSEE: A legal feud is unfolding between ex-NFL player Michael Oher, the subject of the popular 2009 film 'The Blind Side.'
According to ESPN, Oher is suing the Tuohy family for manipulating him into signing away the legal authority to relinquish his authority over business deals after he turned 18.
Did the 'Blind Side' family lie about adopting Michael Oher?
Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy never really adopted Oher. According to the 14-page petition filed in Shelby County, Tennessee, the family allegedly used their conservatorship to amass millions of dollars in royalties from the Warner Bros film which starred Tim McGraw and Sandra Bullock.
"The lie of Michael’s adoption is one upon which co-conservators Leigh Anne Tuohy and Sean Tuohy have enriched themselves at the expense of their ward, the undersigned Michael Oher," read the legal document.
"Michael Oher discovered this lie to his chagrin and embarrassment in February of 2023, when he learned that the conservatorship to which he consented on the basis that doing so would make him a member of the Tuohy family, in fact, provided him no familial relationship with the Tuohys," the document added.
If Oher had been legally adopted, he would have retained control over his own finances as a member of the Tuohy family.
However, the conservatorship instead vested the authority to Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy.
Michael Oher seeks to end the conservatorship
In his legal battle against the Tuohys, the former American football offensive tackle seeks to end the conservatorship and is also demanding an accounting of the money the Tuohys have been accused of earning by using his name, a fair share of the profits, and punitive damages.
"Since at least August of 2004, conservators have allowed Michael, specifically, and the public, generally, to believe that conservators adopted Michael and have used that untruth to gain financial advantages for themselves and the foundations which they own or which they exercise control," read the petition.
Oher found 'Blind Side' film a burden to his football career
Oher, who has long expressed his discontent with the film 'Blind Side,' claimed it has only been a burden to his football career. "People look at me, and they take things away from me because of a movie," the former NFL player stated in 2015.
"They don’t really see the skills and the kind of player I am. That’s why I get downgraded so much, because of something off the field," he continued.
"This stuff, calling me a bust, people saying if I can play or not … that has nothing to do with football. It’s something else off the field. That’s why I don’t like that movie," said the 37-year-old.