Michael Oher Alleges He Was Misled Into Signing Away His Legal Rights to the Tuohy Family of Tennessee

Former NFL star Michael Oher, who was the subject of the 2009 Oscar-winning film “The Blind Side,” has filed court documents claiming he was misled by the Tuohy family of Tennessee into signing away his legal rights and entering a conservatorship.

Oher, who was taken in by the Tuohys as a teenager in Memphis, Tennessee, said he believed he had been adopted by the family. However, he now alleges that Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy convinced him to sign documents nearly 20 years ago that gave them a conservatorship over him, providing them with the ability to profit from his name and likeness.

A conservatorship is a legal arrangement that can strip a person of their civil rights, putting a third-party in charge of their ability to make contract or medical decisions. Oher said he was not aware of the implications of the conservatorship when he signed the documents.

Sean Tuohy has since said that if Oher wants to end the conservatorship now, the family would “of course” be willing to end it. However, Oher is seeking to have the conservatorship declared invalid, and is asking for damages for the profits the Tuohys have made from his name and likeness.

The case is ongoing, and Oher’s lawyers have not yet commented on the specifics of the case. It remains to be seen how the court will rule on the matter.