Michael Oher‘s ties to the Tuohys is officially over, as a Tennessee judge has ended the conservatorship over him. The conservatorship previously allowed the Tuohys control of the former NFL player’s finances.
In August 2023, Oher alleged Sean and Leigh Anne Touhy tricked the football player into the conservatorship under the guise of adopting him. Oher’s petition to the court alleged that the Tuohys had authority over business deals in his name. He also claimed he was deprived of profits from the Oscar-winning movie, “The Blind Side.” Oher signed what he believed to be adoption papers when he was 18 and living with the family.
Shelby County Probate Court Judge Kathleen Gomes chose not to dismiss the case. Oher requested the Tuohys to provide financial accounting of money they may have received through the conservatorship. Included in Oher’s petition were allegations that the Tuohys lied about adopting him to use his name and likeness for financial gain.
Judge Gomes questioned why the conservatorship was with someone who is not disabled. In Tennessee it is common for conservatorships to be used for someone wo has a medical condition, or is disabled. Oher’s conservatorship was approved despite the fact he was 18 and had no diagnosed physical or psychological disability. “I cannot believe it got done,” said Gomes. The judge added that the conservatorship should have been dissolved long ago.
Marty Singer, attorney for the Tuohys, referred to Oher’s lawsuit as a “shakedown effort.” Michael Lewis, author of “The Blind Side‘s” source material, weighed in on the situation. Lewis suggests that “the Hollywood studio system” is at fault for Oher’s lack of profit, instead of the Tuohys. Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove, co-founders of Alcon Entertainment – financier and producer of “The Blind Side” – commented on the controversy as well. Johnson and Kosove claim there have been “many mischaracterizations and uninformed opinions” about this situation. They also claim that the film is “as true today as it was 14 years ago.”
“‘The Blind Side‘ is verifiably authentic and will never be a lie or fake, regardless of the familial ups and downs that have occurred subsequent to the film,” The pair said in a statement.
