The inspirational story portrayed in The Blind Side makes it one of America’s favorite tear-jerkers. Now, the 2009 Oscar-nominated film starring Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw has been turned on its head as the Tuohy family’s adoption of retired NFL player Michael Oher was revealed to be a conservatorship. On September 29th, a Tennessee probate judge ended the conservatorship.[1]
Oher, 37, was taken in by the Tuohy family just prior to his senior year of high school.[2] The Tuohys helped Oher join the high school football team, graduate high school, and attend and graduate from Ole Miss.[3] They were also by his side when he was drafted into the NFL in 2009.[4] Oher became a part of the Touhy family.
Oher recently accused the family of lying about his adoption and instead using a conservatorship to reap the financial gains of their story.[5] He claims he only learned of the conservatorship in February of 2023.[6] The Tuohys, who viewed Oher as a son, rejected many of Oher’s accusations and said they were willing to terminate the conservatorship at his request.[7]
Oher also complained that he never received any payments from The Blind Side movie.[8] The Touhys also rejected this, stating that the family, including Oher, shared in the movie’s profits.[9]
Interestingly, in his 2011 book, “I Beat the Odds,” Oher wrote that he and the family had entered into a conservatorship, but that he didn’t mind because it meant he was officially a part of the Touhy family.[10] His biological mother even consented to the conservatorship.[11] Oher has also said of the Touhys, “they’re my family and without them I wouldn’t be here.”[12]
Conservatorships are often implemented for minors or incapacitated persons. While it is unusual to institute a conservatorship over someone without these characteristics, perhaps it was the Tuohys’ way of trying to continue to support Oher beyond high school; especially considering that Oher was 18 and too old to be adopted.
The idea that the conservatorship was a money-grab for the Touhy family is not convincing. The family was very well-off before Michael Oher and used their resources to help him. By all accounts, the Touhy family invested a lot of time, money, and energy into bettering Michael Oher’s future. (Remember his tutor, Miss Sue?)
Oher is also seeking an injunction preventing the Tuohys from continuing to use his name, image and likeness, and for compensatory damages, punitive damages, and attorney fees.[13] Those issues are pending. Regardless of how this story continues to play out, hopefully the family can eventually move past the conflict.
Image credit: Ralph Nelson
[1] https://www.law360.com/articles/1727626/judge-ends-nfl-pro-blind-side-inspiration-conservatorship
[2] Id.
[3] https://www.law360.com/articles/1727626/judge-ends-nfl-pro-blind-side-inspiration-conservatorship
[4] https://people.com/michael-oher-life-and-career-timeline-7643400#:~:text=April%202009%3A%20Michael%20Oher%20gets%20drafted%20by%20the%20Baltimore%20Ravens&text=Upon%20graduating%20in%202009%2C%20Oher,side%20for%20the%20special%20honor.
[5] https://www.law360.com/articles/1727626/judge-ends-nfl-pro-blind-side-inspiration-conservatorship
[6] Id.
[7] Id.
[8] Id.
[9] Id.
[10] https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/nfl/article-12416457/Michael-Oher-wrote-conservatorship-2011-memoir-Beat-Odds-ten-years-accusing-Tuohy-family-duping-thinking-adopted.html
[11] Id.
[12] https://www.smh.com.au/sport/super-bowl-50-the-blind-side-michael-oher-feels-wanted-at-carolina-panthers-ahead-of-showpiece-20160129-gmgmep.html
[13] https://www.law360.com/articles/1727626/judge-ends-nfl-pro-blind-side-inspiration-conservatorship