The Blind Side Adoption Story Is A Lie That Cost NFL's Michael Oher Millions

Retired NFL football player Michael Oher, the subject of the Oscar-winning film "The Blind Side," has shared a hard-hitting truth: He was never adopted by the Tuohy family — despite them still calling him their "adopted son" and profiting off his likeness (via ESPN).

In 2009, global audiences fell in love with the John Lee Hancock-directed film "The Blind Side." Quickly, it became the feel-good film of the year — dramatizing Oher's life, a foster child who became an NFL superstar after being adopted by Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy. The film grossed over $300 million at the global box office and nabbed Sandra Bullock, who played Leigh Anne, the Best Actress win at the Academy Awards. Oher, now retired, has revealed that the film was a lie and all the family did was trick him into signing into a conservatorship at the age of 18.

On August 14, 2023, Oher filed a 14-page petition in Shelby County, Tennessee, probate court. The petition stated that the Tuohys used their conservatorship to pay themselves and their children millions of dollars from the royalties "The Blind Side," which has accrued over the years. However, Oher claimed that he hasn't received royalties from the film based on his life at all. Oher filed his petition in hopes that Tuohy's still-active conservatorship will end. The petition also asked the courts to issue an injunction that would bar the Tuohys from using the former NFL superstar's name and likeness. Since the release of "The Blind Side," the Tuohys have become household names because of their so-called generosity. 

The petition also asked for accounting teams to see how much money the Tuohys have earned based on Oher's name and likeness to receive his share of profits and an additional unspecified amount paid to him for punitive damages. 

The filing stated that Oher only recently discovered the nature of his conservatorship, which was disguised as adoption. Per the official filing: "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 stated that he and the public have believed in the adoption lie since 2004. According to ESPN, Oher, a high school senior when he signed the papers, was told that there was no difference between adoption and conservatorship. Under the conservatorship, Oher wasn't given the right to earn profit from "The Blind Side." 

"The Blind Side" presents a largely different story than what Oher experienced. In the film, Oher is given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to succeed. While Oher was a star footballer, "The Blind Side" painted Leigh Anne Tuohy as the main driving force behind Oher's success. While the Tuohys played their part in allowing Oher a stable home environment, it's quite damning to learn how the footballer had certain fiscal rights restricted from him unknowingly. Following the financial and critical success of the film, the Tuohys penned "In a Heartbeat: Sharing the Power of Cheerful Giving." Oher's lawyer shared that the NFL star's relationship with the duo became strained after realizing he wasn't receiving royalties for the film based on his life (via ESPN).

Hancock's "The Blind Side" is based on the book of the same name by Michael Lewis. Oher's petition stated that the Tuohys began shopping around the book for a cinematic adaptation after it hit store shelves in 2006. Warner Bros eventually distributed the film. Oher's filing revealed that the Tuohys and their two birth children received $225,000 each for selling distribution rights. They also received 2.5% of the film's net proceeds (via ESPN). That profitable deal was not given to Oher, who was told to sign another contract. 

In 2007, Oher signed a contract that allowed 20th Century Studios (the then-called 20th Century Fox Studios) the life rights to his story. Oher shared that he does not remember signing this contract. The football star's filing makes it clear: He did not receive any financial compensation from "The Blind Side." Oher signed with the Baltimore Ravens in 2009 and retired from the sport in 2016, after having played for the Carolina Panthers. With his football career behind him, Oher is entering the ring to gain the rights back to his life story.