Michael Oher’s Conservatorship Has Officially Been Terminated

Michael Oher‘s conservatorship with Sean Tuohy and Leigh Anne Tuohy has officially ended.

According to the Associated Press, a Tennessee judge terminated the legal arrangement on Friday, but has not dismissed Oher’s lawsuit.

Back in August, Oher — the former NFL star who inspired the Oscar-nominated film The Blind Side — filed legal documents in Tennessee court requesting it terminate the conservatorship after alleging that Leigh Anne and Sean lied about adopting him and tricked him into making them his conservators shortly after he turned 18. Oher claims to have been told there was no consequential difference between being adopted and entering into a conservatorship, giving the Tuohys legal authority to make business deals in his name. 

In her remarks on Friday, Judge Gomes was reportedly shocked that the conservatorship, which was arranged in 2004, was ever reached.

“I cannot believe it got done,” she said of the situation, noting that she has never seen a conservatorship reached with someone who was not disabled in her career spanning more than four decades. 

Oher, whose story was first documented in Michael Lewis’ 2006 bestselling book of the same name, claimed the Tuohys made millions off his name while he never received a dime, after the film — starring Sandra Bullock, Quinton Aaron, Jae Head, Tim McGraw, Lily Collins and Kathy Bates — earned more than $300 million at the box office. The book and film are centered around the Tuohy family taking in Oher and helping transform his life on and off the field.

While under the conservatorship, Oher played for Ole Miss and the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens. He has since claimed that he hasn’t seen any money for the past 19 years from the use of his name, image, and likeness, and “never permitted [the Tuohys] to use his name, likeness, and image in any way.”

The Tuohys have since responded to the accusations, calling Oher’s claims “insulting.” 

The couple says “they never intended to, and in fact never did, take any assumed legal custody” of Oher when they took him in as a teenager. Further, they “vehemently deny” that they told Oher “that they intended to legally adopt him.” 

Even so, the Tuohys admit that they “occasionally referred to [Oher] as a son” and have “always felt [he] was like a son.” However, the Tuohys alleged that the word “son” was used “in the colloquial sense.”

“They have never intended that reference to be viewed with legal implication,” the docs read, adding that they “vehemently deny” that the use of the word “son” caused Oher “any irreparable harm, loss, either past present or future or damages.”

As for why the Tuohys say they went the conservatorship route in Oher’s case, the couple claims that it all began when the then-teen was presented with the “opportunity to play college football.”

“There was never an intent to adopt him,” read court documents filed earlier this month. “When it became the petitioner could not consider going to the University of Mississippi as a result of living with the respondents, the NCAA made it clear that the only way he could attend the Ole Miss [was] if he was part of the Tuohy family in some fashion. Conservatorship was the tool chosen to accomplish this goal.”

Oher’s claim that he only found out about the conservation is February 2023 is “demonstratively false,” the Tuohys allege, citing content in Oher’s 2011 book, I Beat the Odds, as alleged proof.

The Tuohys also said they were “ready, willing, and able to terminate the conservatorship by consent at any time.”

When it comes to the allegations related to payment from the film The Blind Side, the Tuohys claim they “never negotiated any contract with 20th Century Fox or others.”

“Any arrangements regarding the movie The Blind Side were done and through Michael Lewis, author of the book The Blind Side,” the docs read,” adding that Sean, Leigh Anne, their biological children Collins Tuohy and Sean Tuohy Jr., and Oher all “received a portion of the money paid to Michael Lewis which was something less than $225,000.”

Sean and Leigh Anne also claim that they “never signed any contract” for the former NFL player and “vehemently deny” his allegation that they forged his signature.

“When Mr. Lewis was in the process of selling The Blind Side the family met regarding the distribution of any proceeds from the movie,” the docs read. “The petitioner was likewise included in this meeting. All of the Tuohy family including the petitioner agreed to this arrangement where each party would get 20 percent of the proceeds paid.”

Last month, Oher filed subpoenas against producers of The Blind Side requesting that they hand over “all documents and communications” of payments to the Tuohys.

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