Michael Oher may have been blindsided.
As detailed in a report from ESPN senior writer Michael A. Fletcher on Monday, the retired offensive lineman and former Carolina Panthers left tackle has petitioned a Tennessee court alleging that his adoption—made famous by the popular 2009 film The Blind Side—was a lie. Oher claims Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy tricked him into signing documents for a conservatorship and never legally adopted him.
The 14-page petition also alleges that the couple and their two birth children profited millions of dollars stemming from a deal connected to the Oscar-winning film—which made almost $310 million at the box office. Oher, meanwhile, did not receive any royalties despite being the inspiration of the story.
As noted by Fletcher, part of the legal filing reads as such:
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. 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.
Under guidance from the Tuohys, Oher attended the University of Mississippi from 2005 to 2008. He was then selected in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft by the Baltimore Ravens.
After five seasons in Baltimore and a short stint for the Tennessee Titans, Oher signed a two-year deal with the Panthers prior to the 2015 season. He started all 19 games at left tackle during the team’s run to Super Bowl 50.
