‘Blind Side’ Tuohy Family Say Michael Oher Knew They Never Intended to Adopt Him

The Tuohy family, who are subjects of the movie “The Blindside,” says they never blindsided Michael Oher. In fact, they say, the former NFL star whom they took in as one of their own knew they never had intended to adopt him.

Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy responded to Oher’s allegations on Thursday in a court filing, saying they never had plans to adopt him and denied making money off his name, NBC News reported.

The family took Oher in when he was in high school. He later rose to fame both on and off the field. The Oscar-winning movie “The Blind Side” was based on Oher and the Tuohy family.

Last month, the former NFL player shattered what many believed was a heartfelt story when he alleged in court filings that he never knew the Tuohys never adopted him. He also said that he had been placed in a conservatorship and was cut from receiving profits from the movie.

He requested that the Shelby County probate court end the conservatorship that was created when he was 18.

The Tuohys admitted they never adopted Oher but said they still saw him as their son. They also say they are “ready, willing, and able to terminate the conservatorship by consent at any time.”

They also argued against Oher’s claim that he just learned earlier this year about the conservatorship and that he had never been adopted, saying that is “demonstratively false,” as well as his claims that they saw him as a “gullible young man whose athletic talent could be exploited for their own benefit.”

They cited Oher’s 2011 memoir, “I Beat The Odds,” in which he talks about the Tuohy’s being his conservators.

“Clearly, the Respondents (The Tuohy’s) loved the Petitioner and as a result provided him with shelter, food, and clothing and in fact bought him more than one vehicle for his personal use,” the filing said. “In fact, they have always felt that the Petitioner was like a son and have used that on occasion but not in a legal sense.”

The Tuohys said they entered a conservatorship to allow Oher to play college football at the University of Mississippi, the Tuohys’ alma mater, where they were boosters.

“When it became clear that the Petitioner could not consider going to the University of Mississippi (“Ole Miss”) as a result of living with the Respondents, the NCAA made it clear that the only way he could attend the Ole Miss if he was part of the Tuohy family in some fashion. Conservatorship was the tool chosen to accomplish this goal,” the filing said.