The Blind Side Controversy: Michael Oher Challenges His Story

In 2009, Tim McGraw starred opposite Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side, a heart-tugging story of football, kindness, and perseverance. This week, fans of the movie have been blindsided. The former NFL player whose life the movie was based on says key elements of the story are a lie. Michael Oher has petitioned a Tennessee court to end a conservatorship that he only just learned about. Furthermore, he wants to know how much money Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy made from the story.

According to ESPN, Oher, now 37 and retired from the NFL, is seeking a fair cut of the profits derived from his life story. In the movie, the Tuohy family adopts Oher, a Memphis teenager from a broken home who has tremendous strength and talent but faces equally tremendous obstacles. Under their guidance, he thrives in school and on the football field, ultimately gaining a scholarship and becoming a first-round pick in the NFL draft.

Despite his success, Oher has long been critical of how he was portrayed in the film. He recently discovered that the Tuohys never officially adopted him. He accuses them of profiting from a movie deal while sharing profits with their biological children. Oher's petition states he was misled into signing the conservatorship at age 18. He claims he was told it meant the same as being adopted, but that the legal wording was crafted to account for his age.

What Happened to Michael Oher?

The movie The Blind Side was based on a book titled The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis. According to Oher, the Tuohy family received $225,000 each, plus 2.5% of the film's net proceeds. The film grossed over $300 million at the box office, earning tens of millions more from rentals and home video sales, and even snagged Sandra Bullock an Oscar nomination!

Oher's lawyer, J. Gerard Stranch IV, states that Oher's relationship with the Tuohy family deteriorated when he discovered he was portrayed as unintelligent in the film. This relationship further declined when he realized he was the only family member not receiving royalty checks from the movie. Ultimately, it was permanently fractured when he learned he was never actually adopted and felt excluded from the family.

Michael Oher's Journey Beyond Football

Oher played eight seasons in the NFL, and after his retirement in 2016, he began to investigate the deal he made with the Tuohys. A lawyer uncovered the details of the conservatorship in February. The situation has raised questions about the ethics of the Tuohy family's portrayal of their relationship with Oher and the profits they reaped from his story.

Oher's claims have sparked discussions about the complexities of adoption and conservatorship, especially in cases where individuals' lives become the subject of profit-driven narratives. The case highlights the importance of transparency and fairness in stories that touch on personal lives, particularly when they involve vulnerable individuals.

Michael Oher's Biography

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