THE BLIND SIDE Inspiration Tuohy Family: ‘We’re Going to Love Michael’
By Movieguide® Contributor
Sean Tuohy responded to Michael Oher’s claims that the family lied about adopting him as a teenager.
Tuohy said the family was “devastated” by Oher’s allegations, adding, “It’s upsetting to think we would make money off any of our children, but we’re going to love Michael at 37 just like we loved him at 16.”
The Tuohys took Oher in when he was in high school, but the former NFL star recently stated that they misled him — instead of adopting him, the couple placed him in a conservatorship.
His petition to end the conservatorship reads, “The lie of Michael’s adoption is one upon which Co-Conservators Leigh Anne Tuohy and Sean Tuohy have enriched themselves at the expense of their Ward, the undersigned Michael Oher.”
Oher and the Tuohy family’s story was dramatized in THE BLIND SIDE. Oher claims the family made a deal with 20th Century Fox that cut him out completely from making any money. His petition states that he made no money from the movie, while the Tuohys were paid $225,000 and 2.5% of the film’s net proceeds.
However, Sean refutes these claims.
“Everybody in the family got an equal share, including Michael. It was about $14,000, each,” he explained. “We were never offered money; we never asked for money. I will say it’s upsetting that people would think I would want to make money off any of my children.”
Tuohy also responded to Oher’s allegation that he was not officially adopted by the family.
“They said the only way Michael could go to Ole Miss was if he was actually part of the family,” he said. “I sat Michael down and told him, ‘If you’re planning to go to Ole Miss—or even considering Ole Miss—we think you have to be part of the family. This would do that, legally.’ We contacted lawyers who had told us that we couldn’t adopt over the age of 18; the only thing we could do was to have a conservatorship.”
Martin Singer, the family’s attorney, also released a statement about the situation, stating that the Tuohys have always been “upfront” about the conservatorship and “will never oppose it in any way” if Oher chooses to end it.
“The Tuohys will always care deeply for Mr. Oher,” his statement continued. “They are heartbroken over these events. They desperately hope that he comes to regret his recent decisions, makes different choices in the future and that they someday can be reconciled with him. In the meantime, however, they will not hesitate to defend their good names, stand up to this shakedown and defeat this offensive lawsuit.”
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