Michael Oher, the former NFL player and the subject of The Blind Side, has claimed that the story of the popular book and movie was a lie.
He has filed a lawsuit alleging that he was never adopted by Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy. The 14-page petition, filed in Shelby County, Tennessee, probate court, claims that less than three months after Oher turned 18 in 2004, the pair duped him into signing a paper designating them as his conservators, granting them legal rights to do business in his name.
The petition claims that the Tuohys leveraged their authority as conservators to arrange an agreement that yielded millions of dollars in royalties for them and their two biological children from The Blind Side that generated over $300 million. In contrast, Oher received nothing despite his integral role in a story that originated with him. Over time, the Tuohys have consistently referred to him as their adopted son, using this claim to advance their foundation and Leigh Anne Tuohy’s career as an author and motivational speaker.
“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,” the petition alleges. “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.”
Oher has stated that the film portrayed him as stupid, which harmed his NFL career. “People look at me, and they take things away from me because of a movie. They don’t really see the skills and the kind of player I am.”
Oher’s petition asks for the Tuohys’ conservatorship to be dissolved and for the family to cease exploiting his name and image to promote their businesses. He is also looking for monetary compensation.
