Michael Oher says lawsuit against the Tuohy family is about reclaiming his image

Former NFL star Michael Oher , whose life inspired the Oscar-winning film “The Blind Side,” recently spoke out about his lawsuit against the Tuohy family, who took him in during high school.

As previously reported by the Deseret News , Oher’s lawsuit, which made headlines last year, claims he unknowingly signed over his legal rights through a conservatorship, believing it was for adoption.

“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,” the legal filing said, per ESPN .

The Tuohy family has denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that proceeds from the movie were divided equally among Oher and the four Tuohy family members, with each receiving $138,000, according to The New York Times .

Misrepresentation of identity

In an interview with The New York Times , Oher expressed frustration over how the Tuohy family and the media portrayed him, arguing they misrepresented his identity and got millions of dollars in return.

Oher contended that the narrative created around his image made him appear “stupid,” which he believes affected his NFL draft prospects.

“The NFL people were wondering if I could read a playbook,” he told The New York Times.

In one scene of “The Blind Side,” a 10-year-old teaches him the rules of football, even though, in reality, Oher explained he had been named to the All-Metro team by a Memphis newspaper before meeting the Tuohys.

Oher argued that the film depicted him as passive in his own story.

“He displays none of the grit of a child who survived for many years on his own and seems to have no friends, not even among his high school football teammates,” The New York Times explains. “This version of Oher is helpless and alone until the Tuohys get involved.”

Reaction to ‘The Blind Side’

Released just months into his NFL career, “The Blind Side” shaped how Oher was perceived by the public.

“That’s my heartbreak right there,” Oher told The New York Times . “It was as soon as I got there, I was defined.”

Initially, Oher refused to watch the movie, but later saw it with the Baltimore Ravens’ team chaplain and two teammates. He said he was bewildered by what he saw on screen.

“It seemed kind of funny to me, to tell you the truth, like it was a comedy about someone else,” he said. “It didn’t register. But social media was just starting to grow, and I started seeing stuff that I’m dumb. I’m stupid.”

“Every article about me mentioned ‘The Blind Side,’ like it was part of my name,” he added.

The reason behind the lawsuit

Oher emphasized to The New York Times that the lawsuit is not about money but about reclaiming his image.

“I worked hard for that moment when I was done playing and saved my money so I could enjoy the time,” he said. “I’ve got millions of dollars. I’m fine.”

He explained that he waited so long to file the lawsuit because he was “locked in 100 percent” to his football career.

“I went along with their narrative because I really had to focus on my NFL career, not things off the field,” he said.

“For a long time, I was so angry mentally,” he continued. “With what I was going through. I want to be the person I was before ‘The Blind Side,’ personality-wise. I’m still working on it.”