In a new court filing, former NFL star Michael Oher has alleged that the couple who took him in as a teenager, Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy, misled him into believing they were adopting him — and that they instead placed him in a conservatorship. You may be familiar with this story through the 2009 film The Blind Side, which saw Sandra Bullock’s portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy win the Academy Award for Best Actress
Michael Oher, who is now 37, claims that the Tuohys never legally adopted him, even though they had the opportunity to do so. Instead, they tricked him into signing a document that gave them legal authority to make business deals in his name. Oher alleges that the Tuohys then used his name and likeness to profit from the book and movie The Blind Side, which was based on his life story.
“I was misled into signing documents that gave the Tuohys control over my life and my finances,” Oher said in a statement. “I believe they have exploited me and profited from my fame.”
The Tuohys have denied Oher’s allegations. They say that they did everything they could to help Oher, and that they never intended to exploit him.
“We love Michael like a son,” the Tuohys said in a statement. “We took him in when he had nothing, and we gave him a home, a family, and an education. We are proud of everything we have done for him.”
The case is still ongoing, and it is unclear how it will be resolved. However, Oher’s allegations have reignited the controversy surrounding The Blind Side, which has been criticized for its portrayal of the Tuohys as white saviors.
