Michael Oher, former NFL tackle known for ‘The Blind Side,’ sues to end couple’s conservatorship

Michael Oher last played in the NFL in 2016. Photo / AP

Michael Oher, the former NFL tackle known for the movie The Blind Side, filed a petition overnight in a Tennessee probate court accusing Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy of lying to him by having him sign papers making them his conservators rather than his adoptive parents nearly two decades ago.

In the petition filed Monday in Shelby County Probate Court, Oher asks for the conservatorship to be terminated along with asking for a full accounting of the money earned off the use of his name and story.

He also asks to be paid what he is due along with interest. Oher, who has never been a fan of the movie of his life, also asks in the petition that the Tuohys be sanctioned and required to pay both compensatory and punitive damages determined by the court.

ESPN.com first reported the petition.

Steve Farese, a lawyer for the Tuohys, told the Associated Press that they will file an answer to the allegations in court but he declined to comment further. He was among three attorneys served on behalf of the Tuohys on Monday.

Leigh Anne Tuohy did not immediately respond to an email sent to her personal website.

I've gathered the legal documents relating to Michael Oher and the Tuohy family re: adoption/conservatorship. The most recent one was filed today in Shelby County. The others are from December 2004 and indicate the Tuohys were, in fact, appointed conservators.

— Michael Katz (@MichaelLKatz) August 14, 2023

The movie was nominated for an Oscar, and Sandra Bullock won the Academy Award for her portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy.

In the petition, Oher says he only learned in February that the Tuohys remain his conservators.

Oher accuses the Tuohys of never trying to take legal action to assume custody from the Tennessee Department of Human Services before he turned 18. The conservatorship paperwork was filed August 4, 2004 - after Oher turned 18 in May that year.

He was the 23rd overall pick in the 2009 draft out of Mississippi, and he spent his first five seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. He wound up playing eight NFL seasons, including 2014 when he started 11 games for the Tennessee Titans. Oher finished his career with two years in Carolina.

Sandra Bullock won an Oscar for her portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy in The Blind Side. Photo / Supplied

He started 110 career games and won a Super Bowl with the Ravens. He also finished second in the voting to Percy Harvin of Minnesota for the Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after starting all 16 games his first season at right tackle.

Oher, who turned 37 in May, last played in the NFL in 2016 before being released in 2017 by Carolina.

Nearly two years ago, supporters cheered when Britney Spears was freed from her conservatorship. The ruling came after Spears publicly demanded the end of the arrangement, which had prevented her from making her own medical, financial and personal decisions since 2008.

Spears’ high-profile battle put a spotlight on efforts advocates across the United States have launched raising questions that such strict controls result in more harm than protection.