Topline
A Tennessee couple’s conservatorship over ex-NFL lineman Michael Oher will end after Oher petitioned the court last month, accusing the couple of profiting off his name and duping him into believing they had adopted him, several outlets report.
Michael Oher played eight seasons in the NFL, even winning the coveted Super Bowl ring with the … [+]
Key Facts
In a virtual court appearance on Friday morning, Judge Katheleen Gomes announced she would put an end to the nearly 20-year conservatorship Oher believes brought riches to the couple, Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, after the publication of the best-selling book The Blind Side, and its Oscar-winning movie adaptation.
In the book—and movie—the Tuohys were portrayed as saviors to the young Oher, sheltering and helping him build a football career and eventually adopting him—but they never adopted him.
Gomes kept the case open, and Oher has asked that the Tuohys account for all the money they derived from the conservatorship.
Oher is a retired NFL lineman who had stints with the Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers, and played college football at the University of Mississippi, the Tuohys’ alma mater.
Forbes reached out to both parties’ attorneys and the Shelby County, Tennessee, Probate Court clerk for comment.
Crucial Quote
“I cannot believe it got done,” Gomes says of the conservatorship, according to the Associated Press, saying she had never seen in her 43-year career one created for anyone who wasn’t disabled.
Key Background
Instead of adopting him as many believed through the film, Oher said the Tuohys tricked him into signing conservatorship papers he thought were adoption papers. As co-conservators, the Tuohys were permitted to make medical and education decisions for Oher, and Oher could not enter contracts without their approval. The couple argue saying they entered the conservatorship to help Oher with getting a driver’s license, college admission and health insurance. They said they were not in it for personal gain, did not gain anything and would not oppose it if Oher wished to end the conservatorship.
What To Watch For
In the 14 page petition against the couple Oher filed last month, Oher requested the Tuohys pay him the money he believes they obtained through the conservatorship with interest.
Further Reading
Ex-NFL Lineman Michael Oher Says ‘Blind Side’ Story Was A ‘Lie,’ Accuses Family Of Tricking Him Into Financial Deal (Forbes)
Tuohy Family Accuses NFL’s Michael Oher Of ‘Shakedown’ After He Alleged ‘Blind Side’ Story Was A Lie—Here’s What We Know (Forbes)
What To Know About Conservatorships: How Others Allegedly Profited From The Success Of Former NFL Lineman Micahel Oher, Pop Star Britney Spears (Forbes)
‘Blind Side’ Author Says Hollywood Is The Real Culprit In The Fight Between Michael Oher And The Tuohy Family (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/darreonnadavis/2023/09/29/michael-oher-freed-from-conservatorship-in-blind-side-case/