Former NFL Player Immortalized in 'The Blind Side' Drops Bombshell: It Was All a Lie
Turns out that one of the top-rated films of 2009 may have twisted a key fact about the “true story” it’s based on — and it adds a whole new wrinkle to the film’s legacy.
Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture that year, “The Blind Side” told a heartwarming tale of a family adopting a young man out of poverty and helping him realize his NFL dreams.
In an explosive petition filed in Shelby County, Tennessee, retired NFL star Michael Oher alleged that his adoptive parents were neither adoptive nor parents.
According to ESPN, Oher, who was the subject of “The Blind Side,” claims that Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy did not adopt him, as the movie suggests.
Rather, Oher claimed in his petition that he was “tricked” into signing a conservatorship with the Tuohys.
That conservatorship purportedly gave the Tuohys the right to make business deals in his name.
Furthermore, Oher said that he hasn’t seen a dime from “The Blind Side,” while the Tuohys and their birth children have made millions from the smash-hit movie.
“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, the undersigned Michael Oher,” the legal filing said, per ESPN.
Leigh Anne Touhy was portrayed by Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side,” while Sean Tuohy was portrayed by Tim McGraw.
The filing further alleged that Oher made these discoveries just this year — perhaps explaining a bit why this seems to have abruptly been dredged up anew.
“Michael Oher discovered this lie to his chagrin and embarrassment in February of 2023, when he learned that the conservatorship to which he consented on the basis that doing so would make him a member of the Tuohy family, in fact provided him no familial relationship with the Tuohys,” the filing stated.
The petition added: “Since at least August of 2004, conservators have allowed Michael, specifically, and the public, generally, to believe that conservators adopted Michael and have used that untruth to gain financial advantages for themselves and the foundations which they own or which they exercise control.”
The petition primarily seems to be seeking some sort of financial restitution.
Per ESPN’s reporting, Oher is seeking to end the Tuohys’ conservatorship. It’s also seeking an injunction barring them from ever using his name or likeness again.
Finally, the petition is seeking “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 damages.”
The petition also noted, “All monies made in said manner should in all conscience and equity be disgorged and paid over to the said ward, Michael Oher.”
It is worth noting that nothing has been proven in court yet, and Oher’s allegations are just that at the moment — allegations.
Regardless, it’s still a sobering development for one of the most feel-good sports stories in recent memory.
That being said, it’s perhaps not an entirely unexpected development.
Back in 2015, Oher told ESPN that the film had actually had a negative effect on his career.
“I’m not trying to prove anything,” Oher said then. “People look at me, and they take things away from me because of a movie. They don’t really see the skills and the kind of player I am. That’s why I get downgraded so much because of something off the field.”
Oher was taken in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens, where he played out his rookie contract.
He additionally played for the Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers.
According to sports salary tracking site Spotrac, Oher has an estimated career earnings of over $34.5 million dollars.
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