The Oscar-winning film, The Blind Side, which portrayed Michael Oher’s idyllic life, may not have been all that it seemed.
During the promotion of his most recent book, When Your Back’s Against the Wall, the former NFL player revealed some startling information that raises doubts about the veracity of the movie’s storyline.
Michael claimed in court documents dated August 14 that the Tennessee family of Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy—Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw in the 2009 movie—did not adopt him when he was a teenager.
Rather, he claimed that, without his knowledge, he was put under conservatorship. He alleged that the conservatorship may have cost him millions of dollars by removing his ability to negotiate contracts and make decisions about his education and health care.
Michael Oher is therefore demanding a Tennessee judge immediately terminate the ‘’conservatorship’’ that has been in place for almost 20 years.
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According to court documents submitted in Shelby County, Tennessee, on September 14, the Tuohys “vehemently denied” ever informing Oher of their intention to adopt him legally.
In the documents, the Tuohys insisted that Oher was “like a son” to them, but “not in the legal sense.”
They claimed that the NCAA’s clarification that Oher could only play football at the University of Mississippi “if he was part of the Tuohy family in some fashion” is what ultimately led to the conservatorship.
According to the Tuohys’ court filings, conservatorship was the instrument selected to achieve this aim. “The conservatorship was established only to provide [Oher] with the option to attend any university, including Ole Miss.”
The Tuohys now declared they would not object to his request. Court records state that the Tuohys “stand ready, willing, and able to terminate the conservatorship by consent at any time.”
Here is all the information you need to know about the current court case.
Oher stated that he thought the documents he signed were adoption papers until February 2023. Oher claimed that upon entering the Tuohy family’s home, he was informed that they planned to formally adopt him and given instructions to address them as “Mom” and “Dad.”
According to Oher’s court documents submitted in Shelby County, Tennessee, Probate Court, the Tuohys perceived him as “a gullible young man whose athletic talent could be exploited for their own benefit.” “Michael was unaware that accepting the conservatorship would mean giving up his ability to enter into contracts on his own behalf.”