The Blind Side Controversy: Was The "True Story" Actually Fake? (2024)

Almost 14 years after the release of The Blind Side, Michael Oher is coming out with his side of the story, and he claims that the movie, which was marketed as "based on a true story," was actually inspired by lies. The 2009 sports drama film starred Quinton Aaron as Oher, Tim McGraw as Sean Tuohy, and Sandra Bullock as Leigh Anne Tuohy, who won an Academy Award for the role. The Blind Side depicted the tale of Oher, who jumped between numerous foster homes before the Tuohy family offered to let him stay at their house and allegedly adopted him while he played football at the local high school.

Oher went on to play football at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) and was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft. He played with the Ravens for most of his career, but Oher also briefly joined the Tennessee Titans and the Carolina Panthers before retiring in 2017. Although Oher had already made a name for himself due to his impressive athletic talents, The Blind Side thrust him into the spotlight in the late 2000s. But now, he's ready to tell his side of the story.

Michael Oher Claims The Blind Side Story Was A Lie

According to ESPN, Michael Oher filed a lawsuit in August 2023 alleging that Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy didn't adopt him and tricked him into agreeing to a conservatorship, which led to them profiting millions of dollars off his name. As conservators, the couple would have been able to make business deals on behalf of the football star. Oher claimed that the Tuohys told him conservatorship was basically the same thing as adoption, so he signed the papers.

Oher petitioned a Tennessee court and claimed that parts of The Blind Side were fictionalized, like the adoption plot line. As a result, the Tuohy family made a massive amount of money from royalties from the film. However, the petition didn't stop there.

Along with Oher claiming the adoption in The Blind Side was a lie, he also alleged that the Tuohy couple used their conservatorship power to guarantee they and their two children, Sean Jr. and Collins, profited off the film. Meanwhile, Oher stated that he received no compensation for the movie adaptation of his life story. But the majority of the petition focuses on the Tuohy family's use of the word "adoption" to make money from Oher's story, and Oher asserts that they never adopted him.

Why The Blind Side's "True Story" Aspect Was A Huge Factor In Its Success

One of the reasons The Blind Side was so popular (it made $309 million at the box office and earned two nominations and one win at the 2010 Academy Awards) was that it was marketed as being based on an inspirational true story. People were drawn to the movie because it was seemingly a true tale full of hope and determination — two things immediately appealing to many audiences. Everyone wants to feel inspired, and the depiction of the Tuohys taking Oher in was as moving as films come. But now that a significant part of the movie's story might be false, the controversy could taint The Blind Side. Related: 10 Best Movies Like The Blind Side You Need To See

Michael Oher's lawsuit alleges that he discovered Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy never adopted him and tricked him into signing a document that made them his conservators in February 2023. So that is why he is filing the petition almost 14 years after The Blind Side premiered in theaters. Oher also claimed that he learned the Tuohy family profited off of royalties from the film, which seemingly baffled him because he had never received a check for the adaption of his story.

So because of the movie, Oher is coming forward with his truth. The petition that his lawyers filed in August 2023 reveals that the former NFL player wishes to end the Tuohy family's conservatorship. Oher is also petitioning to stop the couple from using his name and likeness to earn profits since they technically are not his adoptive parents and should not make more money from his story than they already have. Sadly, what once was seemingly an extraordinary true story brought to life by Quinton Aaron, Sandra Bullock, and Tim McGraw in The Blind Side has become a question of what is the truth and what is lies.

Source: ESPN