'The Blind Side's Tuohy family plans to end Michael Oher's conservatorship
The Tuohy family is planning to end Michael Oher’s conservatorship, Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy said in a Thursday news conference. The decision comes after Oher filed a petition earlier this week and alleged the Tuohys lied about the agreement.
Oher — the subject of the movie “The Blind Side” — alleged the Tuohys lied about adopting him and instead appointed themselves his conservators, therefore profiting off of him. He also said the family used their power as conservators to turn his story into the book and eventual movie while taking all the profits. Oher said he didn’t receive money from the book or film.
The movie shows the Tuohys adopting Oher, but he said that wasn’t the case. Instead, he argued they lied to get him to sign the document and make them conservators. That’s why he petitioned for the conservatorship to end and asked to be reimbursed for any of the financial gains the Tuohys made while using his name.
The Tuohy family, however, said Oher attempted to get $15 million from the family in order to avoid going public with the story. Sean Tuohy called the allegations “insulting,” and the family’s attorney echoed a similar sentiment.
“The idea that the Tuohys have ever sought to profit off Mr. Oher is not only offensive, it is transparently ridiculous,” the statement read. “The notion that a couple worth hundreds of millions of dollars would connive to withhold a few thousand dollars in profit participation payments from anyone — let alone from someone they love as a son — defies belief.”
Hugh Freeze, Michael Oher’s high school coach, weighs in on the situation with the Tuohys
In the movie, Bert Cotton was Oher’s high school coach. That character, however, was based on Hugh Freeze, who’s now the head coach at Auburn. Freeze addressed the situation involving Oher and the Tuohys, saying he’s “sad” about the chain of events.
He added the story of “The Blind Side” stemmed from the Tuohys’ decision to take Oher in.
“I love Michael Oher,” Freeze said, via Justin Ferguson of the Auburn Observer. “He’s like part of our family. I love the Tuohys. I think it’s sad and I certainly don’t claim to understand all the ins and outs of adoption, conservatory, all of that. But I know what I witnessed, and I witnessed a family that totally took in a young man. And I think without that, there is no story.”
Oher attended Ole Miss out of Memphis (TN) Briarcrest Christian, where Freeze was the head coach for nearly a decade. Before becoming the head coach, he served as the school’s offensive coordinator and defensive backs coach. Freeze was at Ole Miss not too long after, getting his start with the Rebels in 2006. He later returned as the head coach from 2012-16.
On3’s Griffin McVeigh contributed to this report.