Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, the couple who took in former Ole Miss and NFL offensive lineman Michael Oher during his high school years, denied allegations of entangling Oher into a conservatorship and profiting from his story says a court filing filed in response to Oher’s August petition. Here’s what you need to know:
- In their response filed Thursday, the Tuohys vehemently denied using Oher for their own gain and forging his signature during the film negotiations.
- Tuohys’ lawyers estimated that the four members of the Tuohy family and Oher each received $100,000 for the film.
- Oher initially filed his 14-page petition in August, claiming the Tuohys lied about adopting him when they gave him paperwork to make them his conservators months after he turned 18.
- In their four-page response, the Tuohy’s said they were “ready, willing and able to mutually terminate the conservatorship at any time.”
What else does the answer say?
The Tuohys said they received a $200,000 donation to their foundation from the film’s proceeds. They added that Oher “had the opportunity to receive exactly the same amount of money” but he failed to take the necessary actions to initiate the foundation “despite the recommendation” of the Tuohys and their attorney.
The couple acknowledged in their response that they called Oher their adopted son, but argued that they called him that “in a colloquial sense” and never intended the reference to have any legal meaning.
Backstory
Oher’s conservatorship agreement with the Tuohys was filed in August 2004 and gave the Tuohys legal authority over Oher’s business dealings, which included arranging The Blind Side’s financial arrangements. Oher, 37, said he wanted the conservatorship to end.
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In his petition, Oher’s lawyers claimed that the Tuohys negotiated a deal with Twentieth Century Fox that guaranteed them and their two biological children $225,000 each, plus 2.5 percent of the “determined net proceeds” of “The Blind Side.” The film reportedly grossed more than $300 million. The petition said a separate contract allegedly signed by Oher in 2007 “appears to give Fox lifetime rights to his story without any payment.” According to the filing, Oher claims he doesn’t remember signing such a document.
“The lie about Michael’s adoption has enriched co-conservators Leigh Anne Tuohy and Sean Tuohy at the expense of their ward, signatory Michael Oher,” the petition states. “Michael Oher discovered this lie to his chagrin and embarrassment in February 2023, when he learned that the conservatorship he had agreed to on the grounds that it would make him a member of the Tuohy family, in fact, had no familial relationship with him to her.” the Tuohys.”
Oher, the No. 23 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, retired in 2017 after playing for three teams and helping the Baltimore Ravens win a Super Bowl.
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(Photo: Matthew Sharpe/Getty Images)