Highlights
- Michael Oher filed a lawsuit against the Tuohy family in 2023.
- Oher alleged that he thought he was signing adoption papers, but was actually placed under a conservatorship.
- The Tuohy family, who were wealthy before Oher entered their lives, reportedly made money on Oher’s career.
In 2009, Michael Oher’s story touched millions of people around the world. The Blind Side, which starred Sandra Bullock, became a blockbuster hit.
Oher, who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks, was a failing high school student who did not have a bright future ahead of him. After a well-off family brought him into their home, they encouraged him to pursue football. They pushed him to get his grades up and practice hard to play football in college. The end goal for the Tuohy family was for Oher to be drafted in the NFL, which did in fact happen.
While Oher’s story is inspiring and demonstrates the American dream, there are misconceptions on what really happened and what the Tuohy family’s motives really were. Furthermore, there have been accusations that the Tuohy family has unfairly taken advantage of Oher’s success and money. Even Oher himself did not care for The Blind Side’s portrayal of him and filed a lawsuit against the Tuohy family in 2023 for supposing cutting him out from film royalties.
How Much Is Michael Oher Worth?
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Michael Oher is approximately worth $12 million. Oher earned his wealth from his NFL career and various investments.
In August 2023, Oher filed a petition in a Tennessee-based court to end the Tuohy family’s conservatorship over him. He claimed that Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy never officially adopted him, but requested a conservatorship, which allowed them to unfairly profit from him. Based on his statement, Oher thought he was signing adoption papers.
The “adoption” story gave the Tuohy family a positive public reputation, even though he was legally in a conservatorship (which he was unaware of), he alleged.
Furthermore, Oher alleged that he did not receive royalties from The Blind Side film and book, which instead went to Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy and their biological children. His complaint said that the Tuohy family earned millions from The Blind Side royalties.
Born in May 1986, Oher was initially raised by a drug addict mother who struggled to take proper care of him and his siblings. Growing up, Oher had an unpleasant childhood and practically had to raise himself. He attended more than ten schools throughout his education and was in and out of foster homes. There were periods of time when Oher was homeless and lived on the streets as well.
Oher eventually met the Tuohy family, who welcomed him into their home. Over time, the family became close to Oher and supported him as he finished his high school education. Beyond helping him achieve higher grades, they motivated him to play football. Leigh Anne Tuohy was particularly involved in Oher’s high-school football career.
Oher became a great player and was eventually of interest to college scouts. Devout University of Mississippi fans, the Tuohys were more than excited to help Oher pick a university to play with. Besides Ole Miss, Oher had conversations with coaches from Alabama, LSU, and South Carolina, among other universities.
According to Clarion Ledger, Oher has stated in a past interview that “Everybody thinks I went to Ole Miss because of the Tuohy family. I did what I wanted to do. I made a decision myself.” However, some believe that Oher was persuaded to attend Ole Miss due to the Tuohys’ history with the university, even though the Tuohys claim that they would have been happy with any decision Oher made.
Oher achieved great success during his time at Ole Miss from 2005 to 2008. During his senior year, he even was named an All-American athlete. According to Biography, he was eventually drafted in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft by the Baltimore Ravens, and won a Super Bowl with the team in 2013.
Thankfully, Oher was not one of the NFL stars who never got to win a Super Bowl. He finished his football career by playing for the Tennessee Titans in 2014, and eventually the Carolina Panthers from 2015 to 2016.
Oher’s life has definitely evolved since his Blind Side fame, and he even wrote a book to tell his version of the story. “I Beat the Odds: From Homelessness to The Blind Slide and Beyond” was released in 2011, only a couple of years after The Blind Side film premiered.
How Much Is The Tuohy Family Worth?
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Sean Tuohy and Leigh Anne Tuohy are approximately worth $100 million each. Together, they owned more than a hundred franchises of famous fast food chains including Kentucky Fried Chicken, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut.
As accurately depicted in the film, the Tuohy family was wealthy before Oher came into their lives. The Tuohy family reportedly sold a considerable share of their franchises for over $200 million.
According to the Tuohy family’s statement after Oher’s petition, Oher knew that he was only in a conservatorship and was not adopted for years. The family strongly denied his claims that he learned he was not adopted in February 2023. Interesting, he allegedly mentioned that the Tuohys were his conservators in his memoir, which falsifies aspects of his petition.
Did The Tuohy Family Make Money Off Of Michael Oher?
Yes, the Tuohy family made money off of Michael Oher, but most likely not as much as Oher claimed they did.
According to both People Magazine and Entertainment Tonight, a source familiar with the matter said that the Tuohy family did not make millions in profit from The Blind Side, going against Oher’s claims.
In fact, the Tuohy family has allegedly made only between $700,000 to $770,000 from royalties, which was supposed to be spit evenly between all members of the family, including Oher. The Tuohy family’s attorney, Marty Singer, has claimed that financial documents prove that the Tuohy family has given Oher his equal share of the profits.
Additionally, the Tuohy’s conservatorship over Oher ended in September 2023 after a judge approved of Oher’s request, according to Yahoo News.
Source: NewsFinale
