The biopic The Blind Side portrayed Michael Oher‘s inspirational story of the Tuohys adopting him, leading to an NFL career. But, the former football player made allegations that the Tuohys never adopted him and placed him in a conservatorship instead. One year after Oher’s lawsuit against the Tuohys, he spoke of how The Blind Side movie negatively impacted his image.
Based on Michael Lewis‘ book, The Blind Side followed Michael Oher’s tough upbringing to his adoption by the Tuohys. Oher didn’t attend the premiere of the 2009 film but was persuaded to watch it a month after its release. He told People that watching The Blind Side felt like “a comedy about someone else” with his new coworkers questioning his intelligence.
“The NFL people were wondering if I could read a playbook,” said the former offensive tackle. “I started seeing stuff [on social media] that I’m dumb. I’m stupid. Every article about me mentioned The Blind Side, like it was part of my name.”
The Oscar-winning flick had Michael Oher show his struggles in school and his kid brother coaching him for football. The Tennessee native feared that the film’s portrayal might affect his children if their teacher thought, “Their dad is dumb.” With the aftermath of the sports biopic still affecting Oher, his newfound desire is to head toward a journey of self-discovery:
“I want to be the person I was before The Blind Side, personality-wise,” said Oher. “I’m still working on it.”
What is the latest update on Michael Oher’s lawsuit?
In August 2023, Michael Oher alleged to The New York Times that Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy “collectively received millions of dollars and Michael received nothing for his rights.” Originally believed to have been adopted at 18, Oher was in a conservatorship. This granted the Tuohys control over the former athlete’s money and major decisions. The Tuohys then claimed Oher attempted to extort $15 million from them.
Michael Oher argued the lawsuit wasn’t about money as he’s currently “fine” and has “millions of dollars.” He waited until last August to do something about the conservatorship to stay completely focused on his NFL. After his retirement in 2016, it looks like Oher is taking back the narrative.
Since Tennessee law requires a conservatee to have a disability, Probate Court Judge Kathleen Gomes dissolved Michael Oher’s conservatorship a month after he filed the lawsuit. However, legal matters are still ongoing. The former Baltimore Ravens player is seeking a full accounting of the money earned for using his name, likeness, and image, including from The Blind Side. For now, it looks like Oher is heading towards a new chapter in his life.