Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, the couple that took in former Ole Miss and NFL offensive lineman Michael Oher when he was in high school, rejected allegations of tricking Oher into a conservatorship and getting rich off of his story, according to a court filing in response to Oher’s August petition. Here’s what you need to know:
- In their response filed Thursday, the Tuohys vehemently denied exploiting Oher for their own gain and forging his signature on film negotiations.
- The Tuohys attorneys estimated the four members of the Tuohy family and Oher each received $100,000 apiece from the movie.
- Oher initially issued his 14-page petition in August alleging the Tuohys lied about adopting him when they presented him with paperwork to make them his conservators months after he turned 18.
- In their four-page response, the Tuohy’s said they “stand ready, willing and able to terminate the conservatorship by consent at any time.”
What else the response says
The Tuohys said they received a $200,000.00 donation to their foundation from the film’s proceeds. They added that Oher “had an opportunity to receive the exact same amount of money” but he “failed to take the necessary action to initiate the foundation despite the recommendation” of the Tuohys and their attorney.
The couple did admit in the response that they have called Oher their adopted son, but argued that they referred to him that way “in the colloquial sense and they have never intended that reference to be viewed with legal implication.”
Backstory
Oher’s conservatorship with the Tuohys was filed in August 2004 and gave the Tuohys legal authority over Oher’s business deals, which included organizing financial arrangements from “The Blind Side.” The 37-year-old Oher said he wants the conservatorship to be terminated.
GO DEEPER
‘The Blind Side’ conservatorship timeline explained
In his petition, Oher’s attorneys claimed that the Tuohys negotiated a deal with Twentieth Century Fox that secured them and their two birth children $225,000 each, plus 2.5 percent of “defined net proceeds” from “The Blind Side.” The film reportedly grossed more than $300 million. The petition said a separate contract purportedly signed by Oher in 2007 “appears to give away to Fox, without any payment whatsoever” the life rights to his story. Oher claims he has no memory of signing such a document, according to the filing.
“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 petition said. “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.”
Oher, the No. 23 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, retired in 2017 after playing with three teams and helping the Baltimore Ravens win a Super Bowl.
Required reading
(Photo: Matthew Sharpe / Getty Images)
Christine Lake is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. With an extensive background in sports journalism, he covers everything from major league championships to grassroots sports events. When she’s not on the field or at the stadium, you’ll find Christine coaching youth sports teams.
