Former NFL player Michael Oher, the real-life inspiration for the film “The Blind Side,” has filed a petition in a Tennessee court claiming that he was never legally adopted by the Tuohy family, as portrayed in the film.
Oher alleges that he was deceived into a conservatorship after turning 18, which solely benefited the Tuohys. The petition also contends that Oher lived on the streets due to a broken social system until he was taken in by the Tuohy family and attended Briarcrest Christian School. He claims that the conservatorship, which he thought was a form of legal adoption, was presented to him after moving in with the family.
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Former NFL player Michael Oher, known as the real-life inspiration behind the 2009 Academy Award-winning film “The Blind Side,” has taken legal action in a Tennessee court, alleging that he was never legally adopted by the Tuohy family, whose story was portrayed in the movie.
Oher’s petition asserts that he was deceived into a conservatorship after turning 18, a legal arrangement he claims was designed solely to benefit the Tuohys.
Oher’s legal document, filed on Monday, 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 filing, Oher became aware of the non-adoption in February 2023 and alleges that the conservatorship he entered after his 18th birthday was a result of manipulation.
The court petition also reveals that Oher’s tumultuous upbringing involved being taken into custody by the Tennessee Department of Human Services in 1996. His lawyers contend that due to a “broken social system,” Oher was left to “live on the streets.”
His life trajectory turned when he was introduced to Briarcrest Christian School through a connection with Tony Henderson, a friend’s father. At the school, Oher excelled academically, a bright spot in a life marked by attending 11 different schools and repeating two grades within nine years.
The legal document emphasizes that Oher’s interaction with the Tuohy family was intermittent, with the family occasionally hosting him. In 2004, the Tuohys extended an invitation for Oher to live with them. However, during Oher’s years as a minor, the Tuohys took no legal steps to claim custody or guardianship.
Nonetheless, the filing states, “Despite this inaction, the Tuohy’s did tell Michael they loved him and that they intended to legally adopt him. Michael believed them, was delighted to be part of a real and stable family, and trusted Mr. and Mrs. Tuohy completely.”
The filing alleges that the Tuohys presented Oher with the conservatorship shortly after he moved in with them. Oher perceived this arrangement as a form of legal adoption, unaware of its implications on his contractual rights.
The document reads, “At no point did the Tuohy’s inform Michael that they would have ultimate control of all his contracts, and as a result Michael did not understand that if the Conservatorship was granted, he was signing away his right to contract for himself.”
“Michael was falsely advised by the Tuohy’s that because he was over the age of eighteen, that the legal action to adopt Michael would have to be called a ‘conservatorship’ but it was, for all intents and purposes, an adoption,” the document states.
While Leigh Anne Tuohy’s representative didn’t provide an immediate response to Fox News Digital’s request for comment, Oher released a statement through WATN, expressing his disheartenment regarding the revelations in the lawsuit.
Oher’s statement reads, “I am disheartened by the revelation shared in the lawsuit today. This is a difficult situation for my family and me. I want to ask everyone to please respect our privacy at this time. For now, I will let the lawsuit speak for itself and will offer no further comment.”
The petition contends that while the Tuohys benefited significantly from the movie’s success, Oher did not receive equitable compensation.
Allegedly, the Tuohy family negotiated a deal that granted them, including their birth children, substantial payments along with royalties from the film’s gross earnings of $330 million.
Furthermore, the document asserts that a contract, purportedly signed by Oher in 2007, stripped him of rights to his story “without any payment whatsoever.”
Debra Branan, listed as the attorney who filed the 2004 conservatorship petition and also as Oher’s agent for the “The Blind Side” deal, did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
Oher’s attorney, J. Gerard Stranch IV, conveyed to ESPN the emotional toll this revelation has taken on Oher. Stranch stated, “Mike didn’t grow up with a stable family life. When the Tuohy family told Mike they loved him and wanted to adopt him, it filled a void that had been with him his entire life. Discovering that he wasn’t actually adopted devastated Mike and wounded him deeply.”
The legal petition aims to end the conservatorship, preventing the Tuohys from using Oher’s name and likeness, and securing a portion of profits tied to the family’s alleged gains from Oher’s identity.
The document argues, “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.”
The petition concludes, “All monies made in said manner should in all conscience and equity be disgorged and paid over to the said ward, Michael Oher.”
Oher’s NFL journey began in 2009 when he was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens, where he enjoyed five seasons and achieved a Super Bowl victory before moving to the Tennessee Titans. Following a brief stint with the Titans, he joined the Carolina Panthers before being released in 2017.
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