The Tuohy family, who former NFL star Michael Oher has accused of deceiving him over the story at the heart of the film The Blind Side, have responded to the allegations by labeling them a “shakedown”. Oher claims in a petition filed in a Tennessee court that the Tuohys did not adopt him, as portrayed in the movie, but instead convinced him to make them his conservators after he turned 18. Oher, who is Black, had a childhood marked by poverty before being taken in by the Tuohys, a wealthy white family, and eventually playing in the NFL. His life story was chronicled in a book by Michael Lewis that was later adapted into the film.
Oher’s petition alleges that as conservators, the Tuohys were able to sign deals that earned them and their birth children significant amounts of money from the movie, while excluding Oher from any of the income. In response, the Tuohy family’s attorney, Martin Singer, issued a statement denying the allegations and stating that they had treated Oher like a son, offering him support and unconditional love. Singer claimed that Oher had threatened to go public with the story unless he was paid $15 million.
According to Oher’s attorney, J Gerard Stranch IV, his client did not examine the conservatorship until after he retired from the NFL in 2016. It was then that he learned from a lawyer that he had never been officially adopted by the Tuohys. Stranch explained that Oher had grown up without a stable family life and that when the Tuohys expressed their love and desire to adopt him, it filled a void in his life. Discovering that he wasn’t actually adopted was devastating for Oher.
The Tuohys have previously stated that they received a flat fee rather than royalties from The Blind Side and shared the money with Oher. Singer reiterated this stance and said that the family offered to divide the annual income they received from the film equally with Oher. Singer also mentioned that even when Oher started to threaten the family and refused to cash profit checks, they still deposited his equal share into a trust account for his son.
Oher’s petition seeks to end the Tuohys’ conservatorship, prevent them from using his name and image for promotion, and obtain financial compensation. Leigh Anne Tuohy frequently shares The Blind Side story in her work as a motivational speaker.
Singer stated that the Tuohys would release Oher from the conservatorship but would also defend their reputation against the lawsuit.
Oher has expressed his dissatisfaction with the movie’s portrayal of him, claiming that it led to others underestimating his intelligence and skills as a football player.
Throughout his NFL career, Oher earned $34 million, and the petition does not allege that the Tuohys took any of his NFL income.
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