The 2009 film The Blind Side touched many hearts with its moving tale of a family that takes in a homeless teenager and helps him become an NFL star. Based on a true story, it follows the life of former NFL player Michael Oher and how it changed after he met the Tuohy family. However, the actual story was much more complex, as Oher filed a petition against the family in 2023. The controversy around The Blind Side focuses on Oher’s petition, which claims that the Tuohys deceived him into a conservatorship instead of adopting him and gained financially from this arrangement.
To provide a comprehensive outline of the controversy, our experts at Business2Community looked into Oher’s petition, news articles, and public statements. In addition to a comprehensive timeline, you’ll also find quotes from the attorneys representing both parties and relevant videos documenting what happened.
The Blind Side Controversy – Key Facts
- Academy-award-winning movie The Blind Side (2009) is based on former NFL football player Michael Oher’s true story as a homeless teen. It talks about how his life changed when the Tuohy family took him in.
- In August 2023, Michael Oher filed a petition, stating the Tuohys tricked him into a conservatorship.
- A Tennessee judge terminated the conservatorship in September 2023, but the case is still ongoing.
The Story of The Blind Side Controversy
The Blind Side controversy began in August 2023, when Michael Oher, the subject of the 2009 movie, filed a petition against the Tuohy family. He alleged that the Tuohys deceived him into signing papers that he believed were for adoption but were actually for a conservatorship.
About The Blind Side Movie
The Blind Side is a 2009 American biographical sports drama film starring Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, and Quinton Aaron. It tells the true story of Michael Oher, a homeless black teen who becomes an NFL football player with the help of the Tuohy family. Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy take Oher in as a teen, providing him with support both academically and athletically.
Both in the film and in real life, Oher chooses to attend the University of Mississippi, known as Ole Miss. The institution is also the Tuohy’s alma mater. In 2009, the Baltimore Ravens selected Oher for the first round of the NFL Draft, opening up a new and exciting chapter in his football career.
The film was critically acclaimed, earning an Oscar nomination for Best Motion Picture of the Year. With her performance as Leigh Anne Tuohy, Sandra Bullock won the Oscar for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role.
Despite its success, the film faced criticism for endorsing racial stereotypes and the white savior narrative, given that the Tuohys were a white family helping a black teen. In a 2023 interview, Michael Oher talked about the film’s portrayal of his character, stating that it inaccurately portrayed him as illiterate.
In his 2011 book I Beat the Odds, Oher also mentioned how the movie portrayed him as “dumb,” instead of a kid who never got consistent academic instruction. “Whether it was SJ moving around ketchup bottles or Leigh Anne explaining to me what blocking is about, I watched those scenes thinking, ‘No, that’s not me at all! I’ve been studying — really studying — the game since I was a kid!” Oher wrote.
Michael Oher’s Petition
In August 2023, Michael Oher filed a petition to terminate Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy’s conservatorship and to demand the forfeiture of the money they earned by exploiting his story.
The petition states that Oher started living with the Tuohys in 2004, when he was 18. Shortly after he moved in, the Tuohy family asked him to sign papers to become his adoptive parents. However, these papers turned out to be the Petition for Appointment of Conservators, not adoption papers. According to the petition, Michael Oher discovered this in February 2023. In Tennessee, a conservatorship is typically used in the cases of a medical condition or disability, and enables the conservators to make decisions on behalf of the ward. If this is true, it potentially constitutes fraud (though that would be extraordinarily difficult to prove).
Between the signing of the papers and the petition, Oher’s story became the subject of a book and an Academy Award-winning movie. In 2006, Michael Lewis, a childhood friend of Sean Tuohy, wrote the book The Blind Side: Evolution of the Game. Three years later, The Blind Side movie was released. The petition also accuses the Tuohys of using Oher’s name and likeness and falsely presenting themselves as his adoptive parents on their websites.
“When the Tuohy family told Mike they loved him and wanted to adopt him, it filled a void that had been with him his entire life. Discovering that he wasn’t actually adopted devastated Mike and wounded him deeply,” said J Gerard Stranch IV, Oher’s attorney.
Financial Information Mentioned in the Petition
The legal filing states that the Tuohys negotiated $225,000, plus 2.5% of the film’s “defined net proceeds” for themselves and their two birth children. It also mentions a “Life Story Rights Alignment” dated April 20, 2007, signed by Oher, in which he gives away his rights to Fox. Although he doesn’t know whether the signature was forged, Oher says he never willingly signed such a contract.
“Since at least August of 2004, Conservators have allowed Michael, specifically, and the public, generally, to believe that Conservators adopted Michael and have used that untruth to gain financial advantages for themselves and the foundations which they own or which they exercise control. All monies made in said manner should in all conscience and equity be disgorged and paid over to the said ward, Michael Oher,” says the petition.
According to a statement obtained by E! News, the Blind Side producers Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson said the Tuohys’ and Oher’s contracts did not include a clause on significant payouts in the event of the film’s success. Their company, Alcon Entertainment, paid $767,000 to the talent agency representing both parties.
The Tuohy Family Responds to the Lawsuit
The Tuohys expressed their devastation over Oher’s claims. Steve Farase, an attorney for the family, said the Tuohys did not control Oher’s financial affairs. Farese also mentioned that Oher knew about the conservatorship before February 2023, arguing that he talked about it in his 2011 book I Beat the Odds.
Another attorney, Michael Singer, said the Tuohys were victims of a “shakedown,” and that Oher threatened them to spread a negative story about them unless they paid him $15 million. Oher’s attorney did not respond to this claim.
In a different court filing, the family said they gave Oher $138,311 from the film, which was one-third of the proceeds. Oher challenged this statement, saying it does not account for the millions Leigh Anne Tuohy and her husband Sean Tuohy made from public speaking events related to the film.
Judge Dismisses the Conservatorship Agreement
In September 2023, Tennessee Judge Kathleen Gomes terminated the conservatorship agreement between the Tuohy family and Michael Oher. Gomes said the conservatorship should have ended a long time ago, and that she had never seen such an agreement made with someone who was not disabled.
Although the conservatorship was terminated, the case about money made from Oher’s name and likeness still continues.
The Consequences of The Blind Side Controversy
The Blind Side controversy brought back past criticisms about the movie and affected some of its reviews. Here are its key consequences:
White Savior Critics
The Blind Side had already been criticized for white savorism, since it featured a white family “saving” a black teen from poverty. Oher’s petition re-sparked these discussions.
“The fact that this lawsuit is even being talked about is reflective of the central place white savior narratives have in our culture,” said sociologist Matthew Hughey to NBC News.
“It’s a common theme in which the Black person being saved has to be almost rescued from Blackness itself. The message is, ‘The closer to whiteness you become, the more your problems are solved,” he continued.
Negative Reviews
When the controversy became public, the film started getting negative reviews on IMDb and other platforms.
Below is a screenshot of a user’s 1-star review, dated 15 January 2024, which is five months after Oher filed the petition.
The Tuohys Remove References to Oher on Their Websites
As a result of the legal battle, the Tuohys removed the references to Oher as their adopted son on their websites. As of 2024, both Leigh Anne Tuohy’s personal website and her foundation Making It Happen appear as “under construction.”
The Tuohys’ Public Speaking Opportunities
After The Blind Side’s release in 2009, Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy wrote a book, gave speeches, and participated in interviews. The controversy will likely affect their public appearances.
What Can We Learn From The Blind Side Controversy?
A brand’s backstory and identity must be based on the truth. The Tuohys referred to Michael Oher as their adopted son for years, which has now backfired. From a business perspective, this could mean potential brand damage, as the narrative that helped build the brand’s reputation is called into question.
Besides losing customer trust, brand damage can also mean fewer sponsorships and public appearance opportunities. Time will tell how the controversy will affect the Making It Happen Foundation and the Tuohys’ speaking engagements, since the case is still ongoing. However, the controversy could mean fewer speaking opportunities as companies may want to distance themselves from the incident.