Ex-Ravens star Michael Oher ALLEGES he was never adopted by Tuohys, claims the family made millions by selling a lie in ‘The Blind Side’
Oher alleges he was never made part of the Tuohy family and was tricked into believing that he was adopted.
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Former Baltimore Ravens player Michael Oher alleges he was lied to about his adoption by the Tuohy's (Image via ESPN/ IMDB/ USA Today)
Former NFL offensive lineman Michael Oher, whose adoption by a rich White family became a global phenomenon when it was shown on the silver screen in the movie The Blind Side, starring Sandra Bullock, has filed a case in court. According to the documents, Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy never really adopted Oher in the first place.
The 14-page petition, filed in Shelby County, Tennessee, probate court, alleges that Tuohys tricked Oher into signing a document that made them his conservators upon turning 18 years old in 2004. This means the Tuohy family received the legal authority to make any business deal in Michael Oher’s name.
The petition also reveals that the royalty money from the 2009 movie The Blind Side, which earned around $300 million in total sales, went to the biological children of Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy. Oher did not earn a single penny from it, even though the story is based on his life.
As per ESPN‘s Michael Fletcher, the petition read, “The lie of Michael’s adoption is one upon which Co-Conservators Leigh Anne Tuohy and Sean Tuohy have enriched themselves at the expense of their Ward.”
It also revealed that Oher wants the end of the conservatorship. This means it will prevent Tuohys from making any profit from selling his name and demands reimbursement of the money they made in his name and likeness.
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What is the real story of blindsided Michael Oher?
His silver screen life is a feel-good and inspiring story that deals with acceptance and empathy. However, behind that lay the truth that the retired football player had to endure.
Oher was one of the 12 children born to his mother, who struggled due to drug addiction and placed him into foster care when he turned 11 years old. He switched homes and schools frequently and even lived on the streets.
Despite his challenging upbringing, he was gifted at sports. With a big frame, Oher could outmuscle a kid of the same age easily. He began playing football when he was 11 as an offensive linebacker. Big-time colleges took notice, but not having a place to live made it hard. Enter the Tuohys, who saw his potential and forged a good relationship.
After signing the alleged adoption papers, Oher joined the program at the University of Mississippi. He was a two-time All-American and, in 2009, became the Baltimore Ravens‘ first pick in the draft.
In the same year, Blind Side hit theaters, and Oher became a household name. But it did more harm than good.
“People look at me, and they take things away from me because of a movie,” Michael Oher revealed to ESPN in 2015. “They don’t really see the skills and the kind of player I am.”
The movie is like a double-edged sword for Michael Oher. It brought him fame, but it also hurt him even harder.
“Beyond the deals, politics, and money behind the movie, it was the choices some people made that cut me the deepest,” Oher wrote in his latest book, “When Your Back’s Against the Wall.” During his eight-year NFL career, Michael Oher won the Super Bowl with the Ravens and played for the Carolina Panthers and Tennessee Titans.
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Ishan Misra
(3186 Articles Published)