Michael Oher, an ex NFL offensive tackle and subject of the movie, “The Blind Side” which starred Sandra Bullock, has alleged the Tuohy family never actually adopted him. Instead of adopting him, Oher is alleging that they established a conservatorship over him which would give them control over his NFL earnings and business dealings.
The Blind Side, which came out in 2009, is the somewhat true story of Michael Oher. The film portrays Oher as a homeless youth that the Tuohy matriarch; Leigh Anne, played by Sandra Bullock, takes in off the street to live with her wealthy family. During the course of his stay with the family, Michael is then turned into a very successful football player who then goes on to play in the NFL with the help and support of the Tuohy family.
Monday, August 14th, Oher, filed a petition in Tennessee, asking for this conservative to be dissolved and that all control revert back to him.
With the end of the conservatorship, Oher is asking that the court force the Tuohy family to account for all his assets, and pay him any money he is owed over the years with interest. It is alleged that the Tuohy family received millions from the 2009 movie, while Oher wasn’t paid anything for rights to his own story.
Oher started living in with the Tuohy family while still in high school
Oher, played for Briarcrest Christian School in the Memphis area in 2003, during his senior Oher played in the Tennessee All- State Game and was presented with numerous college football scholarships. The petition also went on to outline when Oher’s relationship with the Tuohy family began, stating that during the summer of his junior year, he would intermittently stay with the Tuohy family as a ward of state, never actually being adopted by the family.
Instead, around the age of 18, Oher was presented with conservatorship papers, being told that they pertained to his adoption. The document they had him sign would give the Tuohy family “full co-legal custody, guardianship and conservatorship” and that Oher couldn’t enter, negotiate or sign a contract on his own. Oher said it was only in February of this year, that he didn’t have any legal relationship with the Tuohy family.
In 2006, a book was published about Oher’s life, which was written by an author and journalist. Michael Lewis. Shortly after the publication of this book, The Blind Side: Evolution of the Game, the Tuohys began negotiating film rights with Fox on an adaptation of the book.
Other allgeations in the filing say
The movie, which came out to critical acclaim went on to make at least $300 million dollars at the box office. It is said that While the Tuohys who negotiated on behalf of Oher made millions, but didn’t give anything to Oher, the petition filed on Monday alleged.
In the petition Oher alleged his name, likeness, the events depicted in the Blind Side and all other rights to his story were all signed over to Fox in 2007 without any payment. This would allow Fox to continue to use his story and name for any other projects in the future without having to pay Oher anything additional to whatever was already paid to the Tuohy family.
Oher always wants the courts to look into the accusations that they violated the terms of his conservatorship by forging documents with his name and to pay him any money made from the movie with interest and punitive damages, all while covering his lawyer fees.
