We’ve all seen the movie “Blind Side,” which tells the real-life story of Michael Oher, his adoption, and his incredible college football journey. But 15 years after the release of the iconic biopic, the former NFL star is claiming that it was all based on lies and deceit. So, what really happened? Let’s take a look.
The Movie
‘The Blind Side’ depicts Michael Oher when he was 17 years old. He’s shown as homeless, without any family support, and extremely desperate for help. His life is then turned around when a woman named Leigh Anne Tuohy spots him on the side of the road.
Life Turned Around
Eventually, in the movie, Michael is taken in by the Tuohy family, who notice his incredible athletic ability and impressive build. They help Michael with his studies so he can join a school and play football at a higher level.
Adopted At Last
After staying with the family on a few occasions, we see the Tuohys formally adopt Michael, welcome him into their family as a son, and help him join their old alma mater Ole Miss. There, he becomes a unanimous All-American, leading to him being drafted in the 2009 NFL Draft.
Based On A True Story?
While the movie won all sorts of awards and brought Michael’s story to the public eye, according to the man himself, it wasn’t all true. According to him, the Tuohys didn’t help at all, they exploited and misled him instead.
The Allegations
Michael Oher claims that his “adoptive” parents, the Tuohys, never actually adopted him in the first place. They never even became his legal guardians. What they did do was become his legal conservators in 2004, putting themselves in charge of Michael’s legal and financial decisions.
Deceiving Their ‘Son’
Oher also claimed that the couple told him that the conservatorship was basically the same thing as being adopted. In reality, Michael would’ve become a fully independent adult by the time he turned 18 if he was adopted, but in this case, he was still fully under the control of this family.
Misleading Depiction
The football star also claimed that his portrayal in the movie was misleading. He was shown as someone who was barely literate, shy, and bad at sports in the beginning. In reality, Michael was already known as a great football player, he was quite an upbeat guy, and he was actually quite intelligent and didn’t have much trouble with school.
The Saviors
If you’ve seen the film, you know it basically shows the Tuohys as the ultimate saviors who turned Michael’s life around all on their own. Oher, on the other hand, says that they weren’t the only ones who helped him on his journey. He also had the help of numerous foster families, teachers, coaches, and friends who played just as big of a role.
The Ole Miss Scandal
One of the only scandals that actually was depicted in the movie, perhaps somewhat accurately, was the pressure the family put on Oher to join the University of Mississippi instead of any other college. Many claim that the sole reason they became his conservators was to deliver a star athlete to their beloved college, of which they were huge donors and supporters.
Finding Out The Truth
Michael said that he didn’t discover the truth of the conservatorship until 2023, many years after he had already retired from the NFL and earned most of his money from playing and endorsements.
The Film Deal
When the rights to Michael’s story were sold to Warner Bros, he allegedly had no part in the negotiations and didn’t receive any money from it. He claimed that the Tuohys negotiated on his behalf and took all the money for themselves.
Family Claims Otherwise
Years before this controversy ever came to light, the family claimed that all of the profits from the movie were split five ways, including Michael. This is in direct contradiction to the claims Michael made himself.
The Petition
After all of this came to light in 2023, Michael Oher filed a petition to officially have his conservatorship terminated. He demanded a full financial accounting of how the Tuohys benefited from his name and had them stop using it further.
The Revelations
The petition also alleged that the family, excluding Oher, had earned $225,000 each plus 2.5% of the movie’s profits. Oher, as mentioned earlier, didn’t see a single dollar out of that deal.
The Movie’s Success
The Blind Side earned over $300 million at the box office, and likely earned a lot more in home video sales and distribution rights sales. If Oher’s claims of the 2.5% are true, it means the family likely took home millions of dollars that he never saw.
Bad Representation
Aside from just the financial aspects of it, Oher also felt wronged by the way he was portrayed in the film. It damaged his real-life reputation and damaged the public perception of him.
Public Speaking
After the petition was filed, some internet users discovered that the Tuohys continued to profit off of Oher’s name in other ways as well. Both LeAnne and Sean Tuohy maintained public speaking profiles where they told their stories and allegedly charged tens of thousands of dollars per appearance.
The Tuohys’ Response
As everyone expected, the Tuohys vehemently denied all of Oher’s allegations. They claimed that this was all a part of a scheme for Oher to “extort” $10 million out of them and that they never saw him as anything less than a son.
The Public Fallout
After all of these revelations, it’s safe to say that the internet was not too happy with the Tuohys. They received an onslaught of hate and had to disable social media profiles and comments. Oher, on the other hand, received a lot more support and sympathy in comparison.
The Effect On Oher
Oher said that this lawsuit opened up a lot of his past wounds that he had kept patched up. He already had a tough upbringing, and learning that the people he cared for the most saw him as nothing more than a trophy or a paycheck must’ve stung.
Freedom For Michael
In December 2023, Michael Oher’s conservatorship was finally ended by the judge presiding over the case. The Tuohys also promised to never use Oher’s name on their website or public speaking gigs.
The Implications
At the age of 37, Michael Oher finally became a free man who was responsible for all of his own decisions. He was no longer being profited off while earning nothing in return. However, this wasn’t going to be the end of his journey.
The Skeptics
Even though the majority of the internet supported Oher after his revelations, many are still skeptical of his story. They claim that everything the Tuohy’s did was in good faith and they did, in fact, see him as a son. Many called Oher opportunistic and ungrateful after the controversy.
What’s Next For Oher
The troubles for Michael aren’t over just yet. While the conservatorship may have ended, we still don’t know the full extent of how much the Tuohy’s may have profited off of his name, if at all. It’s likely that the legal issues will continue to play off for at least a couple of years, and until then all we can do is wait and watch what happens next.