In the film, the story of a poor young man on the brink of homelessness, living in the city of Memphis in the state of Tennessee, USA, was being told. While dealing with his drug-addicted mother on one hand, the young man was also attempting to continue attending school, albeit with limited success.
The experiences of the African-American Oher, who was adopted by a wealthy white family, captivated and moved hundreds of thousands of people to movie theaters when the film was released in 2009. The movie grossed over 300 million dollars in total revenue.
In the Oscar-nominated film 'The Blind Side,' which was nominated for Best Film, Sandra Bullock portrayed Leigh Anne Tuohy, the mother of the Tuohy family who adopted Oher, and she also took home the golden statuette for Best Actress. Bullock was also awarded the Best Actress accolade for the same role at the Golden Globe Awards.,
As a result, at the beginning of the week, a news story published by ESPN, one of the leading sports media organizations in the US, created a sensation on the national agenda. Oher, who filed a lawsuit in Shelby County, Tennessee, claimed that the foundational story of the film was a fabricated lie created by the Tuohy family in order to profit from his story.
According to the allegations outlined in the 14-page court document, Oher began living with the Tuohy family when he was a high school student. However, contrary to the portrayal in the film, Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy did not legally adopt Oher. Instead, after Oher turned 18 in 2004, the Tuohys deceived him into signing a document.
This document made the Tuohy couple his legal guardians, granting them the authority to make business agreements on Oher's behalf. Oher only discovered this truth in February 2023, nearly 20 years later. The document states, "Michael Oher discovered this sorrowful and disgraceful lie in February 2023. Oher has learned that the guardianship relationship, which he agreed to, believing it would make him a part of the Tuohy family, did not establish any actual familial relationship between himself and the Tuohys."
The document claims that the Tuohys first lied to Oher, asserting that guardianship and adoption were the same, and then, using their guardianship powers, made film deals that earned them millions, both for themselves and their biological children, stating, "Oher has received nothing for this story that would not exist without him." Leigh Anne Tuohy gained further fame in the subsequent years, becoming an author and motivational speaker, partly due to this popularity. During this time, the Tuohys referred to the now 37-year-old Oher as their "adopted son."
According to the affidavit, Oher only learned of this truth in February 2023, nearly 20 years later. The document states, "Michael Oher discovered this sorrowful and disgraceful lie in February 2023. Oher has learned that the guardianship relationship, which he agreed to, believing it would make him a part of the Tuohy family, did not establish any actual familial relationship between himself and the Tuohys."
