Michael Oher Says Lawsuit Against Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy Isn’t About Money: ‘I’ve Got Millions of Dollars’
His former NFL teammate stated that he “saved” and “worked hard” to accumulate his wealth.
Michael Oher says he sued Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy for non-financial reasons.
The pro athlete whose life inspired The Blind Side, 38, told The New York Times Magazine on Sunday, Aug. 18, that he did not sue Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, the couple who took him in in high school, for money. Oher, whose case ended the Tuohys’ conservatorship, claims they lied about adopting him while profiting from his name.
He informed the Times that he possesses his own funds.
“I worked hard for that moment when I was done playing, and saved my money so I could enjoy the time,” he told. “I’ve got millions of dollars. I’m fine.”
The Super Bowl champion earned $34 million from the three NFL teams he played for, according to Over the Cap, a website that monitors NFL salaries.
The Blind Side earned $309.2 million at the box office after its 2009 release and received numerous accolades, including Sandra Bullock’s Academy Award and Golden Globe for her portrayal of Leigh Anne, the matriarch of the Tuohy family.
The story was originally a book by Michael Lewis before it was adapted for the big screen. However, Oher informed the New York Times that the book conveyed an inaccurate and agonizing “narrative” of him.
The Tuohys stated in legal documents that were previously obtained that they agreed to the distribution of the proceeds from The Blind Side book and movie prior to Oher’s retired from the NFL.
“The family, including Mr. Oher, came to a verbal agreement to divide the proceeds from the book and the movie revenues evenly. Mr. Oher received and accepted one fifth (1/5) of the total payments through 2016, subsequently, his share has been deposited into an account for the benefit of his son,” the document from March 2024 reads.
In his in-depth interview, Oher said living with the Tuohys in Tennessee was “great” since the affluent family bought him clothes and hired a tutor so he could play college football.
“I had a bed to stay on. I was eating good. They got me a truck,” he continued.
However, Oher skipped the film’s premiere, conflicted because of how he was “defined” in both the book and drama, which he believed painted him as “dumb.” When he finally did watch the movie about a month later, he said, “It didn’t register.”
Oher claimed that his portrayal in the film had caused others to doubt his intellect and had resulted in him losing a higher draft position.
“The NFL people were wondering if I could read a playbook,” he said.
“I started seeing stuff that I’m dumb. I’m stupid. Every article about me mentioned The Blind Side, like it was part of my name,” he added of the social media era beginning to bloom.
Oher, who had since married and had children, was concerned about the way his family would be perceived.
“If my kids can’t do something in class, will their teacher think, ‘Their dad is dumb — is that why they’re not getting it?’ ” he said.
The former football player stated that he delayed filing the litigation for over a decade due to his commitment to his career.
“Pro football’s a hard job. You have to be locked in 100 percent,” he said. “I went along with their narrative because I really had to focus on my NFL career, not things off the field.”
The Tuohys placed Oher in conservatorship, giving them power over his finances and significant life decisions, despite his lack of impairments, as required by Tennessee law.
In 2023, the Tuohys said they “never signed any contract” for Oher since his conservatorship.
The conservatorship Sean and Leigh Anne formed when Oher turned 18 was terminated by Shelby County, Tenn. Probate Court judge Kathleen Gomes one month after the former NFL star filed his complaint in August 2023.
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