Michael Oher made headlines in late 2023 after making allegations against the Tuohy family, who were long believed to have adopted him. The NFL veteran, whose life served as the inspiration for the Oscar-winning film The Blind Side, claimed the Tuohys never adopted him and also exploited him. Shortly after, the Super Bowl winner filed suit against his alleged parents and, since then there have been a few notable developments in the case. Now, over a year after making that legal move, Oher is speaking out about the drama as well as how the aforementioned film has impacted his life and personality.
Why Did Michael Oher File Suit Against The Tuohy Family?
The 38-year-old former Baltimore Raven reportedly sued Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy for supposedly putting him under a conservatorship. Claiming that he was asked to sign conservatorship papers instead of adoption documents, the ex-football player filed to have the legal arrangement dissolved. As part of the suit, he also filed to be paid money he believed he was entitled to due to the use of his story and name.
Michael Oher’s petition also claimed that the Tuohys publicly misrepresented themselves as his adoptive parents and that they made copious amounts of money off his story. It’s also said that Sean and Leigh Anne struck a deal regarding The Blind Side, which has supposedly allowed them and their two natural children to earn millions of dollars. Per Oher’s filing, the Tuohys have earned $225,000 each in addition to 2.5% of the “defined net profits.” After the suit was filed, Sean responded, asserting that he and his family “didn’t make any money off the movie.” He claimed that they received “about $14,000, each” and that they never received additional compensation.
By November 2023, the Tuohy family removed references to Michael Oher from their website and advertising materials for their speaking engagements. Oher’s conservatorship has been terminated as well. So how is he feeling nearly a year after that situation? Well, Oher didn’t hold back when sharing his thoughts.
How Does Michael Oher Feel About The Blind Side And The Tuohys’ Impact On Him Now?
Michael Oher previously spoke about how The Blind Side apparently hurt his career, as he explained several years ago that the 2009 film apparently caused people to look at him in a certain way. The movie – which even his foster brothers said was inaccurate – starred Sandra Bullock, Quinton Aaron and Tim McGraw. (Bullock won an Oscar for her performance as Leigh Ann Tuohy.) When speaking with The New York Times Magazine, Oher recalled what it was like seeing the movie with some of his Ravens teammates:
It’s hard to describe my reaction. It seemed kind of funny to me, to tell you the truth, like it was a comedy about someone else. It didn’t register. But social media was just starting to grow, and I started seeing stuff that I’m dumb. I’m stupid. Every article about me mentioned ‘The Blind Side,’ like it was part of my name.
While the former tackle can fully acknowledge that the Tuohys did provide him with support when he needed it as a team, he seems to have complicated feelings now. The John Lee Hancock-directed film based on his life (which is streamable with a Netflix subscription) gives the former athlete pause. He further explained to NYT Magazine that he’s now concerned how it might impact his children down the road:
If my kids can’t do something in class, will their teacher think, Their dad is dumb — is that why they’re not getting it?
The father of four was eventually asked just why it took so long for him to share his account of his experiences with the Tuohys and file the lawsuit. With that, he provided an answer and also touched on his desire to move forward in his life:
Pro football’s a hard job. You have to be locked in 100 percent. I went along with their narrative because I really had to focus on my N.F.L. career, not things off the field. … For a long time, I was so angry mentally. With what I was going through. I want to be the person I was before ‘The Blind Side,’ personality-wise. I’m still working on it.
All in all, it would seem that Michael Oher not only wants to receive what he believes he’s owed but to also distance himself from the film that further boosted his story into the national spotlight. As of this writing, the Tuohys have not commented on Oher’s sentiments.