Michael Oher, the subject of the 2009 movie The Blind Side, has come forward with allegations that the wealthy Tuohy family established a conservatorship for him without ever adopting him. Oher alleges that they gave him the impression that by signing the document, he would be considered adopted by the Tuohys. In court documents, Oher claims that the Tuohys, including Leigh Anne and Sean’s two children by birth, Collins Tuohy and Sean Tuohy Jr., were paid $225,000 for the film The Blind Side.
Oher filed a petition against the Tuohys in August 2023, claiming that they had not only never adopted him but tricked him into signing the document. The absence of the Tuohys at Oher’s wedding prompts reflection on the nature of relationships, the impact of fame and media representation, and the autonomy of a relationship that is undoubtedly layered with a history.
A Tennessee judge signed an order Friday ending Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy’s conservatorship over Michael Oher, a month after the former NFL player accused the couple of representing themselves. Oher also alleged that the Tuohys, including Leigh Anne and Sean’s two children by birth, were paid $225,000 for the 2009 film The Blind Side.
Oher’s petition asks the court to end the Tuohys conservatorship and issue an injunction barring them from using his name and likeness. It also seeks a full accounting of the money the Tuohys earned using Oher’s name and to have the couple pay him his fair share of profits, as well as unspecified compensatory and punitive measures.
📹 The Blind Side’s Michael Oher Accuses Touhey Family Profiting Off His Name
Time Stamps: 4:34 – Pink Sauce updates 24:03 – man pees on hotdog vender 31:46 – Michael Oher blindsided 52:08 – Newly-wed …
How old was Michael Oher when the Tuohys took him in?
17 He also performed poorly as a student, repeating first and second grades and attending 11 different schools during his first nine years as a student. The young boy was finally taken in by Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy when he was 16, and the Tuohys became Ohers legal guardians when he was 17.
What happened to The Blind Side lawsuit?
A judge in September ended the conservatorshipthat allowed the Tuohys to control Ohers finances.
In The Blind Side, Leigh Anne Tuohy, 63, was portrayed by Sandra Bullock, while Sean Tuohy, 64, was played by Tim McGraw. The film was based on a 2006 book by writer Michael Lewis.
Aimee Picchi is the associate managing editor for CBS MoneyWatch, where she covers business and personal finance. She previously worked at Bloomberg News and has written for national news outlets including USA Today and Consumer Reports.
What is The Blind Side controversy?
The Blind Side film received mixed reviews and also soon found itself at the center of controversy. Critics argued that the portrayal of Oher played into Uncle Tom stereotypes about Black people as submissive to white authority. Many also took issue with the films portrayal of the Tuohys as white saviors whose personal charity helped an impoverished Black youth overcome challenges and find his footing and potential.
Meanwhile, Oher wrote in his memoir, I Beat the Odds: From Homelessness to the Blind Side and Beyond, the film portrayed him as “dumb” instead of as a kid “who had never had consistent academic instruction.”
Oher has publicly said that the film negatively impacted his career. In 2015, he told ESPN that people make assumptions about him based on how he was poorly portrayed in the film. “People look at me, and they take things away from me because of a movie,” Oher said. “They dont really see the skills and the kind of player I am. Thats why I get downgraded so much, because of something off the field… Thats why I dont like that movie.
What is the main issue in The Blind Side?
The Blind Side film received mixed reviews and also soon found itself at the center of controversy. Critics argued that the portrayal of Oher played into Uncle Tom stereotypes about Black people as submissive to white authority. Many also took issue with the films portrayal of the Tuohys as white saviors whose personal charity helped an impoverished Black youth overcome challenges and find his footing and potential.
Meanwhile, Oher wrote in his memoir, I Beat the Odds: From Homelessness to the Blind Side and Beyond, the film portrayed him as “dumb” instead of as a kid “who had never had consistent academic instruction.”
Oher has publicly said that the film negatively impacted his career. In 2015, he told ESPN that people make assumptions about him based on how he was poorly portrayed in the film. “People look at me, and they take things away from me because of a movie,” Oher said. “They dont really see the skills and the kind of player I am. Thats why I get downgraded so much, because of something off the field… Thats why I dont like that movie.
How much money do the Tuohys owe Michael Oher?
The couple accused by retired NFL star Michael Oher of cheating him out of proceeds from the blockbuster movie The Blind Side actually paid Oher more than $138,000 in profits made from the movie, according to a sworn document their lawyers filed in a Tennessee court on Wednesday.
The financial accounting, which had been ordered by a Shelby County probate court judge, said that Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy paid $138,311.01 to Oher in 10 separate installments between June 2007 and April 2023. The payments represent Ohers share of the profits made from the movie and the book that preceded it, according to a statement accompanying the accounting document filed by the Tuohys lawyers.
By agreement between the family members including Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, their children SJ and Collins as well as Michael Oher, the book and movie proceeds were to be split five ways, the statement said.
Did the Tuohys make money off The Blind Side?
The pair denied that the Tuohys were paid millions by their company for the film, sharing that Alcon paid “$767,000 to the talent agency that represents the Tuohy family and Michael Oher (who, presumably, took commission before passing it through).” A source close to the film told NBC News the Tuohys received about $700,000 to be evenly split among the family.
On Aug. 14, Oher filed a petitionseeking to end a conservatorship, alleging that hesigned the conservatorship papers thinking they were adoption papers. In the filing, he alleged that he discovered six months ago that the Tuohys never adopted him and rather became his conservators.
Lawyers for the Tuohys said that Oher was always aware that he wasnt legally adopted and even wrote about it in his 2011 memoir, “I Beat The Odds: From Homelessness, to The Blind Side, and Beyond.”
How much money did the Tuohy family make from Blind Side?
The petition alleged that all four members of the Tuohy family were paid $225,000 for the film plus 2.5% of the films proceeds.
Theres been a misconception about exactly how much money the Tuohy family made for the role they played in a story that would ultimately become the box office hit,The Blind Side.
Its been reported thatSean TuohyandLeigh Anne Tuohyand their family received 2.5 percent of the films profits the film grossed approximately $309.2 million but thats not accurate. ET has learned that the family deal actually paid them the aforementioned percentage of net profits, which is based on money left over after all costs are distributed.
All in all, its believed the family earned under $1 million from the 2009 film based on Michael Lewis 2006 bestseller of the same name, which centered around Michael Oherand the evolution of the integral role played by the left tackle, or the blind side.
Why was Michael Oher estranged from the Tuohy family?
Now 37, Oher seeks a full accounting of assets, considering his life story produced millions of dollars, though he says he received nothing from the movie. He accuses the Tuohys of falsely representing themselves as his adoptive parents, saying he only discovered in February that the conservatorship provided him no familial relationship to them.
The Tuohys said they loved Oher like a son and supported him when he lived with them and when he was in college. They are devastated by accusations by Oher, who has been estranged from them for about a decade, their lawyers say.
RELATED: Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy seek to end conservatorship for Michael Oher, lawyer says.
What was the Tuohy family accused of?
Oher accused the Tuohys of lying about adopting him when they became his conservators in 2004, which gave them the legal authority to make business deals in his name. Hart noted that the Tuohys have since admitted that their conservatorship was used to help Oher commit to playing for Mississippi.
In his lawsuit in August, Oher requested the conservatorship be discontinued and asked for a full accounting of money earned off his name, image and likeness. The relationship between Oher and the Tuohys was notably depicted in the 2006 book The Blind Side and the 2009 movie of the same name, the latter of which Oher claimed he didnt receive any money for while the Tuohys and their children made millions.
The Tuohys denied Ohers allegations in a September court filing, saying they were ready, willing and able to terminate the conservatorship by consent at any time. They also claimed that Oher was paid the same share of The Blind Side film profits that each of them and their two children received, which was about $138,000.
Did Leigh Anne Tuohy go to Michael Oher’s wedding?
Michael even appeared to tie the knot with his longtime partner, Tifanny Roy, in a Nashville ceremony that did not appear to have the Tuohy family in attendance. The athlete shares four children with his wife; sons Kobi and MJ and daughters Kierstin and Naivi.
Former NFL star Michael Oher has made no secret of the fact he had many issues with the acclaimed 2009 film, The Blind Side, which his own personal story – and that of his so-called adoptive family – inspired.
Now the retired athlete has made a revelation which would indicate the entire Sandra Bullick-led movie is based on a lie, shocking fans with claims that he is not actually the adopted son of Sean and Leigh Anne Touhyas the movie portrays.
In yet another unexpected twist regarding Oher and the Touhy family, the 37-year-old has alleged in a sensational legal filing against his family that he was tricked into signing a document which made them conservators – not his adoptive parents – allowing them to profit off his name.
How much does Leanne Tuohy charge for speaking?
On the couples website, Leigh Anne is touted as a champion for adoption, and her speakers fee, according to her bio in Speaker Booking Agency, ranges from $30,000 to $50,000.
Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy Removing References to Adopting Michael Oher on Their Website Amid Legal Battle.
Sean TuohyandLeigh Anne Tuohywill no longer make any references about adoptingMichael Oheron their websites and in their public speaking materials amid their ongoing legal battle.
According to The Associated Press, a lawyer for the couple, Randy Fishman, told the probate judge at a hearing Wednesday in Memphis, Tennessee, that any references about adopting Oher will be scrubbed immediately. Shelby County Probate Judge Kathleen Gomes applauded the move, saying that the removal of adoption references is the right thing to do.
Why did the Tuohys not attend Michael’s wedding?
Oher seems to have unfollowed every member of his adoptive family on social media, and it looks like he decided not to invite them to his wedding.
On Instagram, Michael Oher shared a beautiful photo of himself and his wife, with whom he shares four children—two sons and two daughters. But because Michaels adopted family, the Tuohys, didnt share any pictures on Instagram, numerous accounts have speculated that he and his new family are having issues.
The Tuohy family was present when Michael triumphed in the Super Bowl, and Michael also attended the wedding of his sister, Collin.
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Can definitely adopt past age 18. I was raised by my grandparents and the whole adoption thing was never a big deal so we never did it. But then once I reached 24, if I still wanted to be on their military health insurance as a full time student until 26, I would have had to be adopted. So they adopted me at age 24.
i’m from oxford, ms, where michael went to college. people have been tearing him apart and their main point is that the Touhey’s didn’t need the money because their money runs deep. but in my opinion, i think he’s telling the truth, at least mostly. i can’t imagine how bad it feels to find out the people you thought were family took advantage of you. hopefully he finds some kind of peace after this.
Unfortunately, I think if they were just given bad legal advice on the conservatorship vs adoption route and it was just about him going to Ole Miss, they would’ve sought to end the conservatorship themselves at least by the time he finished college or something. He’s a whole retired professional football player at this point. There is no reason it should still be active. I’m so disappointed, but now I’d like to read his book on his real story.
Kudos ladies! One of the more balanced segments out there on this subject. I particularly like the way you included both those quotes from his autobiography, but most people are missing the important words in there :\r \r “It kind of felt like a formality, as I’d been a part of the family for more than a year at that point . Since I was already over the age of eighteen and considered an adult by the state of Tennessee, Sean and Leigh Anne would be named as my “legal conservators.” They explained to me that it means pretty much the exact same thing as “adoptive parents,” but that the laws were just written in a way that took my age into account.” \r \r And as you show, later in that same paragraph he writes:\r \r “My mother was supportive of the whole thing and there wasn’t a whole lot of emotion all around because it was just a matter of formalizing the way we’d all been living for the past year. “\r \r His conservatorship was filed on August 9, 2004. (the summer before his senior year) So when he writes that he “was part of the family for more than a year” and repeats it later with “…been living for the past year” – that takes him back to the summer before his junior year… and he played NO football at Briarcrest until his junior year. In another paragraph he details how he was practically living there most of his junior year. Michael Oher constantly downplays how long he lived with them in a despicable attempt to cast suspicion on their motives for taking him in. As we can plainly read, his book says he was already a part of their family BEFORE they ever saw him play football at all.
I love you guys 😭💓💓💕💕 I’ve been perusal Kendall FOR YEARS!! It’s my comfort podcast to watch you guys! It’s helped me get thorough some if the hardest times in my life and inspired me in so many ways💓💕 it’s also amazing to watch everyone grow and have such good friendships 💓 you guys really are inspirational! 💖
I am so happy for you, Sydney! I wish you the best and a wonderful life! I am perusal this on 9/7/2023, and it is my wedding anniversary. My husband and I have been married for a long time. Listening to you all about seeing all of our family at our wedding and for the family to gather again at our funeral. It is sad but true. My husband wanted something other than a articlegrapher and a photographer. I am so glad that I ignored him and had both. I get to see my dad ( who passed away a while back), and My hubby’s dad passed 6 mos before mine. I don’t regret having a big wedding. I do plan to have a small funeral ;).
In regards to how they portray oher as dumb it’s not just about the school thing like that’s understandable like some kids do struggle so that’s okay to portray but the part that really grinds my gears is- and even O’Her pointed it out back then- was the movie made him seem as if he never picked up a football in his life, which is a flat out lie oher specifically pointed this out i think it was in an ENews special right around the time the movie was popular. Meanwhile Sandra Bullock’s character is over here teaching him how to hike of football as if he were an alien😅.
I love how they take a 18yo without separate representation, they seat him down and their lawyer told him about this… but asume he knew, why it was still active? I read that in order to get it, they had to declare that Micheal had a learning disability which they portrayed in the movie. We know now he doesn’t have a disability. And about the adoption, if they adopt him, would he be included in the division of goods after they are gone? She wants to claim he knew, but there is multiple articles of her giving speeches at MLM conferences saying he was her son and that they adopted him.
My husband and I got married in Jamaica. We wrote our own vows. I was most excited for the week long family vacation with our parents and 2 kids! For the wedding part I was most excited for us to read our vows. I was crying from laughing! We had been together 7 years when we got married. Our vows were almost identical.
Janelle is exactlyyyy like my sister in the whole “doesn’t watch any damn movies” “doesn’t know any damn celebrities” thing 😂😂 I ALWAYS am forcing my sister to watch classic movies that everyone should see at least once (and roasting her when she doesn’t know who certain actors are). I still giggle when I think of a few episodes back, Janelle had said she didn’t know who Tom Hanks was 😩 even my sister knows Tom Hanks tho 💀😂
Adoption rules vary between each state. I am an adult and wanted my stepfather to adopt me. It can only be done in the state of MD if the biological parents sign the papers. Maybe they couldn’t get his parents to sign off and were told the conservatorship would be the next best thing? But I have also seen a few things recently saying the family did not make the amount of money he is claiming?
I don’t know why, but I love the blindside. It’s definitely like in my list of favorite movies. Every time it’s on I watch it it’s definitely like my go to movies when I don’t really know what to watch or like, I just need background noise. But I do remember when it first came out like even when I watch the movie now I always thought like wow I feel like they could’ve portrayed him much better than what they did because before I saw the movie, I remember perusal the interviews of him when he got drafted.. it’s kind of sad to see that they’re on the outs with him and they’re saying one thing and he’s saying another.people are saying that he’s just doing it because he’s broke but I guess time will tell everything will be brought to light.
Congratulations hope it goes well for the wedding. The Pink Sauce Lady deserved the backlash for that attitude; she’s very immature. I never liked The Blind Spot, even when it came out. I usually don’t get into race, but as an African American perusal it, I thought it was very stereotypical how they portrayed Michael Oher; it was really offensive, and I always agreed with anyone who was critical of the film because there is a history of making minorities look uncultured with a low IQ, and the savior complex of it bugged me. I was in a conservatorship I have autism, and it sucked and was very difficult to get out of. It doesn’t mean that you’re not able to take care of yourself; you’re usually tricked into it, sadly. I hope he wins the case.
I literally see the pink sauce every single time I go to Walmart and the first time I seen it I looked at the ingredients of it and I was intrigued but me and my fiancé both agreed that it would probably go to waste just like every other new sauce, we’ve seen,tried and then sat in our refrigerator to expire so I’m glad that I never tried it lol
Michael had played football for THREE YEARS before he met that family,so he’s always been vocal about hating the film. There is a scene in the film where Michael is being asked if the family pressured him to go to the college they wanted him to go to,this puts that scene in a new light. Sandra’s boyfriend just DIED, to go after her right now is insensitive or anytime really,it’s not her fault,she was given a script,she was told it was a true story,blame the REAL people.
Kendall, you should try North Carolina barbecue sometime! Instead of sweet, it’s tangy and vinegary! It’s superrr good. I absolutely hate barbecue sauce, cause I don’t like sweet stuff on meat either, but I loveee North Carolina barbecued chicken. Promise, it’s amazing! ❤ Also, P.S., love you guys and congrats Sydney!!!
Janelle is missing the concept of white savior. A lot of wealthy people exploit people in poverty for a societal image. Using a black man’s body and story is extremely problematic and like Kendall said, more profit should have gone to him. You also have to take into account his age at the time and the abuse of power he was under when someone who seemingly cared for him, told him he was being adopted. He would have been easily influenced if it meant he would become part of that family. They used language to intentionally manipulate him. It’s sad.
She watched it sped up… that’s why she missed them portraying him as slightly slower. I actually thought that’s what they were saying back then. Haven’t watched in a while but my memory thought he was suppose to have been a bit different and noe learning he wasnt is surprising. Maybe its just how he spoke back then? Bein nervous and knowing he wasnt tsught kuch idk. Maybe finding out how the actor was told how to portray him would reveal more.
I felt they made him look dumb in the films even when I first watched it. In the film, Ms. Touhey said “all the other teachers are on board” when in reference to giving him good grades so he would get into university. And it seemed like he wasn’t doing well not just until he had a tutor, but it felt like even then the tutor was holding his hand through the paper idk that’s what it felt like then. I left the film feeling like he got through based on one good paper and the other teachers being easy on him and then it seemed like the same continued into University. I know better now, but that film just made the Touhey family look like White Saviors
I went to school with them yes it was exaggerated. He had played football prior to coming to the school. Her calling the coach from the stands… never happened. If you want to know who the coach was at the time… He is now Auburn University’s coach. So no things weren’t exactly how they were in the movie. Leigh Anne never went to the hood and approached people like that. It’s highly exaggerated. Michael wasn’t dumb at all. Our school made me feel dumb too. C’s at our high school = easy A’s for me at college. Our high school was a college prep school and just intense and harder than college IMO.
I think these statements that are being released by the family and by the production company are not any defense to his points. The dad says exactly what Michael said… he sat him down and told him it basically makes him a part of the family… but it doesn’t. And the part of the book where he mentions conservatorship in the book is exactly what he said in the lawsuit. “It’s basically means he’s family and it’s just a formality and doesn’t make a difference” which clearly shows he’s confused about what it actually means. And I also want to know if Ole Miss wasn’t happy about it so they needed to adopt him, but they didn’t. So what happened with Ole Miss/NCAA that they allowed him to go? And why wouldn’t they like it? And they just let it continue this whole time? I think it just started off as a white savior complex and turned into a lucrative business move.
The only thing I can weigh on in regards to “the blind side” adoption…. My Step-Dad attempted to adopt both my brother and myself after he and my mom got married and we were told that because I was over the age of 18 he couldn’t formally adopt me. My bio-Dad had also emancipated my brother and myself and we were still told no. Soooo i think maybe the law is not clear cut
Just for arguements sake, Janelle in this episode you mentioned that Michael Orrs story wouldn’t be possible without the parents but wouldn’t that be the same as any other child? Like wouldn’t that be the same as me saying “I birthed my child so I should get their money” just seems like a rare off take so I’d love to hear more of your opinion on that! With love
So Michael played for my hometown NFL team for quite a few years and the Toueys (sp) were at most games. I don’t for a second think that in this situation he was taken advantage of. He was just fine with the movie and banking on that. The T’s were a catalyst for him and his education and career. He was on the set during a lot of filming. I know a lot Agent’s and others in the entertainment sector do take advantage of actors and athletes, but I don’t think it’s the norm and I don’t believe that through all of the years and all of the representation he’s had, that nobody would’ve told him that something shady was happening if it was. I don’t believe it to be some huge conspiracy. Back then, I believe that the T’s were told what they say. They were quite well off long before Michael. They didn’t seek him out like that.