He filed a lawsuit against his ‘Blind Side’ family. Now Michael Oher’s headed to Miami
Michael Oher, the subject of the hit 2009 movie “The Blind Side,” is making headlines again — but not for the sport of football.
The film was adapted from the 2006 book by Michael Lewis, telling the story of Oher, and his rise from poverty to NFL star after being “adopted” by Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, played by Tim McGraw and Sandra Bullock.
Earlier this week in bombshell court papers filed in Tennessee, Oher alleges the Tuohys never adopted him; instead, he recently found out in a document he signed in 2004 when he turned 18, only made the couple his conservators.
The 37-year-old now wants the conservatorship ended, for the Tuohys to stop using his name and likeness and to receive a fair share of profits they earned off his celebrity, as well as unspecified “compensatory and punitive damages.”
“The lie of Michael’s adoption is one upon which Co-Conservators Leigh Anne Tuohy and Sean Tuohy have enriched themselves at the expense of their Ward, the undersigned Michael Oher,” the document says. “Michael Oher discovered this lie to his chagrin and embarrassment in February of 2023, when he learned that the Conservatorship to which he consented on the basis that doing so would make him a member of the Tuohy family, in fact provided him no familial relationship with the Tuohys.”
In response, the Tuohy family’s lawyer, Marty Singer, released a statement saying that Oher’s petition was a “shakedown,” timed to the release of his new memoir, “When Your Back’s Against the Wall: Fame, Football, and Lessons Learned through a Lifetime of Adversity.”
Want to hear more of this sordid story? You can, because Oher is coming to Miami. The 37-year-old former offensive tackle will be signing copies of this very memoir (Avery, $28) at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Books & Books in Coral Gables.
Organizers note that this is an autographing event only. Meaning you must purchase a copy to enter the signing line. Asking questions is free.
INFO:
What: Michael Oher autograph signing of “When Your Back’s Against the Wall: Fame, Football, and Lessons Learned through a Lifetime of Adversity” (Avery, $28)
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Books & Books, 265 Aragon Avenue, Coral Gables; 305-442-4408; www.booksandbooks.com
