Former NFL player Michael Oher’s adoption story, as portrayed in the 2009 movie “The Blind Side,” has been challenged by recent revelations from a Tennessee court filing obtained by ESPN on Monday. The filing alleges that instead of being adopted by a wealthy white family, Oher was manipulated by them for their own financial gain at his detriment.
The court document, submitted in the probate court of Shelby County, Tennessee, claims that Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, the individuals depicted in the movie, took Oher into their household while he was a high school student. They are accused of orchestrating a conservatorship that deceived Oher after he turned 18, granting them the legal authority to engage in business transactions on his behalf.
The Tuohys are alleged to have exploited this authority to strike a deal that resulted in substantial royalties from the Oscar-winning film, benefiting not only themselves but also their biological children. Despite the film’s earnings exceeding $300 million, Oher alleges he did not receive any portion of the proceeds.
Oher, now 37, is seeking intervention from the court to terminate the Tuohy family’s conservatorship, prohibit their unauthorized use of his name and likeness, and compel them to disclose the extent of their earnings derived from leveraging his name. In addition to unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, he is said to be pursuing an equitable portion of the profits that were made.
