Michael Oher, Subject of The Blind Side, is Suing “Adoptive” Family

In 2009, The Blind Side was a popular and inspiring movie that gave Sandra Bullock an Oscar for Best Actress. The film tells the story of a poor black football player who moves in with a wealthy white family to further his football career. Fourteen years later, it turns out that the film was not as inspirational as people thought. In fact, the core of the film might have turned out to be a big lie. Michael Oher, the inspiration for the film, is petitioning the court, alleging that the Tuohys, the family that took him in, tricked him into a conservatorship. In addition, they owe him a lot of money. The case shows how real life can be harsher than fiction.

Michael Oher is alleging in his 14-page petition that the Tuohys never officially adopted him. He claims that the family told him that they could not adopt when he turned 18. Therefore, they had to do a conservatorship. The Tuohys did not explain to Oher that a conservatorship would give them complete control of him and his money. It also gave them the right to make business deals for him without making him part of the family. Not to mention there actually are ways to adopt someone once they turn 18, so that was a complete lie.

The control of money came into place mostly having to do with the success of The Blind Side. The film made more than 300 million dollars at the box office. However, Michael Oher did not see a cent from the film. The Tuohy’s conservatorship over Oher allowed the family, including their biological kids, to make money from the film. However, there was no money for the person whose story is at the center. The family controls Oher without him being a part of their family, despite what the Tuohys tell people.

Many parts of Michael Oher’s petition reveal how the Tuohy family have deceived him. The lies have gone on since 2004, which is when the conservatorship started. The petition states, “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,” according to the petition, “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 petition continues with, “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,” and that, “All monies made in said manner should in all conscience and equity be disgorged and paid over to the said ward, Michael Oher.”

Sean Tuohy, the father of the Tuohy household, had a lot to say about this petition. He told the Daily Memphian, “We’re devastated,” and “It’s upsetting to think we would make money off any of our children. But we’re going to love Michael at 37 just like we loved him at 16.” When referencing the money made, Tuohy explained, “Well, Michael Lewis gave us half of his share. Everybody in the family got an equal share, including Michael. It was about $14,000 each. We were never offered money; we never asked for money. My money is well-documented; you can look up how much I sold my company for.” Oher claimed in the petition that the family received 225 thousand dollars each, a lot different than 14 thousand.

Cases like these usually go on for a while, so there will not be an end to all of this for a while. However, the publicity for the case should help Oher in the long run. People are happily taking his side, saying that something about the film always seemed fishy. There are even people who want Sandra Bullock to return the Oscar that she won for this film. while Oher is just trying to get the money and freedom that he deserves. Oher details some of these problems and discusses where his life is at now in his newest book When Your Back is Against the Wall. Only time will tell if the fight for freedom will work out for him.