NFL Star Subject of Famous Movie Suing Adoptive Family

MEMPHIS, TN — Former Ole Miss and NFL offensive lineman Michael Oher is suing his adoptive parents over millions of dollars.

Michael Oher, whose story is the star of the Oscar-winning film “The Blind Side” is suing Sean and Leigh Ann Tuohy, saying they made millions of dollars off of a “fake” story about Oher’s life. He said the Tuohy’s did not adopt him and they made themselves richer at Oher’s expense.

In the suit, Oher said a few months before turning 18, the Tuohy’s tricked him into making them his conservators so they could make deals in his name.

The Blind Side, starring Sandra Bullock, cost about 29 million to make and the movie earned 309.2 million, over 10 times its budget. The film also won an Oscar; Sandra Bullock won Best Actress for her role as Leigh Ann Tuohy and it was nominated for Best Picture.

Oher claims the movie would not have been made without him.

The synopsis for The Blind Side reads:

Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron), a homeless black teen, has drifted in and out of the school system for years. Then Leigh Ann Tuohy (Sandra Bullock) and her husband Sean (Tim McGraw), take him in. The Tuohys eventually become Michael’s legal guardians, transforming both his life and theirs. Michael’s tremendous size and protective instincts make him a formidable force of the gridiron, and with help from his new family and devout tutor, he realizes his potential as a student and football player.

Oher was drafted in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens. He won two Super Bowls, one with the Ravens and one with the Carolina Panthers.