Michael Oher: net worth, Blind Side movie lawsuit explained, who is his wife - is he suing the Tuohy family?

Michael Oher has claimed in a lawsuit that the adoption story which inspired the Blind Side film was a lie and that he was misled by the Tuohy family.

The former NFL star has filed a petition in Tennessee alleging that the white couple who brought him into their home when he was 1 years old never officially adopted him and instead placed him under a conservatorship. He accuses the family of making money at his expense by “falsely and publicly” representing themselves as his adoptive parents.

The 37- year-old’s life story was made into the movie Blind Side in 2009 and starred actors including Quinton Aaron, Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw. It was nominated for two Academy Awards in 2010, earning Bullock her first Oscar win for Best Actress.

So, who is Michael Oher, Blind Side lawsuit explained and what has he said about the Tuohy family? Here’s everything we know so far.

Who is Michael Oher?

Oher is a former National Football League (NFL) player whose life story was turned into the 2009 film Blind Side. In 2004, he was taken in by the Tuohy family who allegedly adopted him. Oher has claimed however that he discovered in February 2023 that he was in fact in a conservatorship.

Throughout his football career he played for the Baltimore Ravens and Carolina Panthers. He has also written two books including his 2006 book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game, with a portion of it adapted for the 2009 film. In 2011 he released his autobiography, I Beat the Odds: From Homelessness to The Blind Side and Beyond.

What is his net worth?

Oher has a net worth of $12 million according to Celebrity Net Worth. During his NFL career he allegedly made a total salary of $34 million.

Who is his wife?

Oher is married to Tiffany Roy, the couple met at university, with them both attending the University of Mississippi. They married in 2017 after 17 years of dating and share four children together.

Taking to Instagram to announce their marriage, Roy described their journey as a “fairytale”, in the caption. She said: “This day was a very special day that I will forever cherish and hold close to my heart . I look back at my husband’s and I journey together and I can actually say it has been a fairytale.”

What has he said about the Tuohy family?

Reported by Associated Press (AP), Oher has claimed that Leigh Anne Tuohy and Sean Tuohy did not adopt him and instead placed him under a conservatorship. The 37- year-old’s court petition alleges the couple made money at his expense by “falsely and publicly” representing themselves as his adoptive parents.

Oher, who alleges he only learnt about the conservatorship in February 2023, has asked for it to be terminated and has asked for a full accounting of the money the Tuohy’s earned from the use of his name story.

Is he in a conservatorship?

Oher has alleged in a court petition that he was not adopted by the Tuohy’s and was instead made to sign paperwork that placed him in a conservatorship.

The petition states: “The conservatorship to which he consented on the basis that doing so would make him a member of the Tuohy family, in fact provided him no familial relationship with the Tuohys.” He claims he was “falsely advised” that it would be called a conservatorship because he was already 18 but the intent was adoption.

AP reported: “At no point did the Tuohys inform Michael that they would have ultimate control of all his contracts, and as a result Michael did not understand that if the conservatorship was granted, he was signing away his right to contract for himself.”

Sean Tuohy has reportedly stated that he and his wife are “devastated” by the claims and would end the conservatorship if that is what Oher wanted them to do.

Did Michael Oher get paid for Blind Side?

The BBC have reported that Oher’s court filing alleges that he “received nothing” for the Academy Award winning movie. The Tuohys allegedly negotiated a contract for themselves and their biological children of $225,000 in addition to 2.5% of the film’s net proceeds.

Where can I watch the Blind Side?

The Blind Side is not available to watch on Netflix in the UK. You can rent or buy the 2009 movie from Amazon Video, Apple TV or Sky Store.