The further away we get from the film, “The Blind Side,” the worse its reputation becomes. Not only is it considered one of the most infamous examples of the White Savior trope, but the central figure that the movie is based on has revealed that his story isn’t as triumphant as the film portrays it to be.
On Monday, former NFL player Michael Oher filed a 14-page petition in a Tennessee court claiming that Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy never adopted him and that they instead tricked him into signing a conservatorship document that allowed them to make business deals in his name. The biggest one being the 2009 Oscar-nominated film, according to ESPN.
On top of the adoption being total BS, Oher is also claiming that the movie deal the Tuohys negotiated made them and their children millions of dollars and that he walked away without making one damn cent. (For the record, that movie made more than $300 million worldwide).
Oher hopes for the court to end the conservatorship and order the Tuohys to pay him the money he feels he is owed.
More from ESPN:
“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 says. “Michael Oher discovered this lie to his chagrin and embarrassment in February of 2023, when he learned that the Conservatorship to which he consented on the basis that doing so would make him a member of the Tuohy family, in fact provided him no familial relationship with the Tuohys…”
“Since at least August of 2004, Conservators have allowed Michael, specifically, and the public, generally, to believe that Conservators adopted Michael and have used that untruth to gain financial advantages for themselves and the foundations which they own or which they exercise control,” the petition says. “All monies made in said manner should in all conscience and equity be disgorged and paid over to the said ward, Michael Oher.”
To this day, Oher alleges that the Tuohys continue to claim that he is their adopted son and have used him as a tool to promote their foundation and Leigh Anne’s career as a motivational speaker and author, according to ESPN.
Whew, the jig is up! But to be honest, Black folk never cared for the film that much considering all the white characters in the movie serve as a positive influence to Michael, and nearly all of the Black characters serve as hindrances to him.
Now it seems that that white family that “saved” his life turned out to be his biggest enemies.