Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy plan to end their conservatorship of former NFL offensive lineman and Ole Miss All-American Michael Oher, attorneys representing the couple announced Wednesday. Oher, whose story is depicted in the 2009 film "The Blind Side," alleged the Tuohy family never legally adopted him as portrayed in the film and only entered a conservatorship in an attempt to profit off him, though attorneys contend Oher received the same share of profits from the film as other members of the Tuohy household.
Oher's lawsuit, which was obtained by ESPN, claims the Tuohys entered Oher into a conservatorship while presenting it to be the same process as legal adoption. The lawsuit demanded an end to the Tuohys' conservatorship of Oher, which has been in place since 2004, just months after his 18th birthday.
Entering Oher into a conservatorship allowed the Tuohys to oversee Oher's financial life and enter into legal deals without his consent, though Oher was not a legal member of the family. In the case of 'The Blind Side,' the award-winning film grossed more than $300 million and earned actress Sandra Bullock an Oscar for her portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy.
"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 legal filing read.
In wake of the lawsuit the Tuohys and their legal team called accusations against the family "hurtful and absurd." Attorneys for the family said Wednesday the $500,000 in proceeds from the film was split evenly among all five Tuohy family members -- Oher included -- at $100,000 per person.
"In reality, the Tuohys opened their home to Mr. Oher, offered him structure, support and, most of all, unconditional love," Martin Singer, an attorney representing the Tuohys, said in a statement. "They have consistently treated him like a son and one of their three children. His response was to threaten them, including saying that he would plant a negative story about them in the press unless they paid him $15 million.
"They insisted that any money received be divided equally. And they have made good on that pledge," Singer continued. "The evidence -- documented in profit participation checks and studio accounting statements -- is clear: over the years, the Tuohys have given Mr. Oher an equal cut of every penny received from 'The Blind Side.' Even recently, when Mr. Oher started to threaten them about what he would do unless they paid him an eight-figure windfall, and, as part of that shakedown effort refused to cash the small profit checks from the Tuohys, they still deposited Mr. Oher's equal share into a trust account they set up for his son."
Oher attended Briarcrest Christian School, where he was coached by current Auburn coach Hugh Freeze, before later signing with Ole Miss and eventually reaching the NFL. His pro career lasted from 2009-16, in which he started 110 games and won a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens during the 2012 season.
