Retired NFL Star Alleges Blind Side Film Was Built on Lies
Former NFL star Michael Oher, whose inspiring journey from foster care to football success was portrayed in the 2009 Oscar-winning film The Blind Side, has recently alleged that the movie was built on lies. In a court filing, Oher, now 37 years old, claims that he was never adopted by the wealthy white couple portrayed in the film and instead was tricked into a conservatorship.
In the movie, Oher, a foster child from Tennessee, is taken in by Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy and goes on to become a star college athlete. However, according to Oher’s court filing, the Tuohys made millions of dollars from his name while allegedly deceiving him into believing that he had been adopted.
Representatives for the Tuohy family and their foundation have not responded to requests for comment from the BBC. Meanwhile, Sean Tuohy told the Daily Memphian that he and his wife were shocked by Oher’s allegations. He denied that the Tuohys profited from the movie, claiming that they only received a share of proceeds from the book on which the film was based.
According to the court filing, Oher alleges that the Tuohys tricked him into making them his conservators shortly after he turned 18. A conservatorship is a legal arrangement in which a parent or guardian is appointed to oversee the personal and financial affairs of someone unable to manage them on their own due to age or disability. Oher claims that the Tuohys took complete control over his ability to enter contracts or negotiate, even though he was an adult with no diagnosed disabilities.
The court filing accuses the Tuohys of exploiting Oher’s athletic talent for their own benefit. They allegedly presented him with adoption paperwork and told him that it was called a conservatorship for someone over the age of 18. Oher claims that he only discovered the truth in February 2023 when he realized that the conservatorship did not grant him any familial relationship with the Tuohys.
Furthermore, Oher accuses the Tuohys of using the conservatorship to enrich themselves while he excelled as a football player. The court filing alleges that they negotiated a contract that split profits and royalties from the movie between themselves and their biological children, leaving nothing for Oher. The Blind Side went on to earn over $300 million at the global box office.
In response to the lawsuit, Oher is seeking to terminate the conservatorship, prevent the Tuohys from profiting off his name and likeness, and obtain a full accounting of what he is owed. The lawsuit accuses the Tuohys of a gross and appalling breach of fiduciary duty.
The Blind Side was released at the same time Oher began his professional football career in the NFL. The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture and earned Sandra Bullock an Academy Award for her portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy. Oher has long felt that the movie misrepresented him as mentally slow, affecting his career.
In a statement, Oher expressed his disappointment about the revelations shared in the lawsuit. The legal battle will likely shed new light on the true story behind The Blind Side and the alleged exploitation of Oher’s name and success.
