Michael Oher BUSTED: Wrote About Tuohys Conservatorship In 2011 Book

Former NFLPlayer Michael Oher may not be entirely truthful in his bid to end the Tuohys' conservatorship over him, and the proof lies in his own words. The 37-year-old former offensive lineman, who played for both the Baltimore Ravens and the Carolina Panthers, claimed the Tuohys cheated him out of rightful monies, and the fight is turning murky.

Earlier this week, Michael Oher filed a petition asking the Shelby County, Tennessee, probate court for the established conservatorship by the Tuohys to be dissolved. In the legal papers, Oher claimed that Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy convinced him to sign documents that agreed to the conservatorship in 2003.

His supposed adoption by the white and wealthy Tuohy family rescued him from poverty and was immortalized in the 2009 movie "The Blind Side." In his 14-page petition, Oher claims that the central element of the story, which is based on an eponymous book, was a lie. While Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy did take Oher into their home as a high-school student, they never adopted him or considered him part of their family.

Instead, as Oher claims, they tricked him into signing a document when he turned 18 in 2004 that made them his conservators. This also gave them the right to make business deals using his name and likeness, much like the award-winning movie that starred cinched an Oscar for Sandra Bullock and grossed more than $300 million. Further, the suit filed by Oher also claims that the Tuohys lied for profit, claiming he did not receive any money from the film.

In his petition, Oher claims that the 2004 conservatorship gave Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy the right to be his legal guardians until he turned 25 or until a court terminated the conservatorship. Since he's now 37, he's moving to the court to have it ended.

That said, Michael Oher knew the Tuohy family were his "legal conservators" in 2011, even though he claimed to have learned about this only this February. The proof lies in the former NFL star's first book.

Oher penned his memoir, "I Beat The Odds: From Homelessness to The Blind Side, and Beyond," 2011. In it, there's a paragraph mentioning his legal relationship with the family.

In the book, Oher writes, "It felt like a formality, as I'd been a part of the family for more than a year at that point. Since I was already over eighteen and considered an adult by the state of Tennessee, Sean and Leigh Anne would be named as my 'legal conservators.' They explained that it means pretty much the same thing as 'adoptive parents,' but that the laws were just written in a way that accounted for my age."

At the time, Oher also spoke of his happiness, writing, "Honestly, I didn't care what it was called. I was happy that no one could argue that we weren't legally what we already knew was real: We were a family."

The Tuohys even brought his biological mother to the court hearing, where she consented to the agreement, writing, "'After court, we all went out to brunch together to celebrate. Then we dropped my mother off and went back to the house–to our house."

Since Oher claims he learned about the conservatorship in early 2023, his words punch a hole in his story. His attorney described the conservatorship as a way for the Tuohy's to gain "total control over Michael Oher's ability to negotiate for or enter any contract."

Meanwhile, the Touhys stand by their actions and claim this is a shakedown attempt by Oher, who wants $15 million.

The family's attorney, Martin Singer, said the Tuohys find Oher's reactions "hurtful" and hope that he "comes to regret his recent decisions." They want to reconcile with him hopefully but also stated, "In the meantime, however, [the Tuohys] will not hesitate to defend their good names, stand up to this shakedown and defeat this offensive lawsuit." That said, they have no plans to contest the end of the conservatorship.