Former Baltimore Ravens star Michael Oher shocked the sports world and beyond yesterday when he filed a petition in a Tennessee court against Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, the couple that took him in when he was in high school and whose story inspired the 2006 book and 2009 hit movie The Blind Side. Now, after the alleged reality of their situation has been made public, the family is reacting to Oher’s claims.
Sean “SJ” Tuohy Jr. appeared on Barstool Radio after the news broke to address Oher’s allegations. The ex-NFL star said in the court filing that he was never actually adopted by the Tuohys, and was instead tricked into signing a conservatorship agreement that gave them control of his business and personal dealings. He also pointed out that despite The Blind Side making $300 million at the box office, he’s yet to see a dime from those earnings as a result of the deal.
SJ, for his part, was doubtful that Oher only learned about the reality of the deal earlier this year. “If he says he learned that in February, I find that hard to believe. [I went back to] our family group texts… to see what things have been said. And there’s things back in 2020, 2021 [that] were like, you know, ‘If you guys give me this much, then I won’t go public with things.’ And so I don’t know if that’s true,” he said. “I think everyone learned in the past year about the conservatorship stuff because of Britney Spears so maybe that’s the case.”
The 30-year-old described how his friends were roasting him in their group chat after the story first broke, and denied allegations that he’d earned millions thanks to the movie’s success. “Man, if I had $2 million in my bank account, it would be in my email signature and say, ‘Signed, SJ Tuohy, multi-millionaire,’” he said.
When it came to Oher’s feelings being hurt, SJ acknowledged the player’s pain. “I get it, why he’s mad. I completely understand,” he said. “It stinks that it’ll play out in a very public stage.” He also lamented that the movie’s legacy was being tarnished after years of inspiring people. “That part sucks, but like, oh well, you know?”
As for the parents, Sean Sr. spoke to The Daily Memphian to express his disappointment and deny Oher’s claims. “It’s upsetting to think we would make money off any of our children. But we’re going to love Michael at 37 just like we loved him at 16,” he said.
Oher, meanwhile, has largely stayed quiet after the story made headlines yesterday, though he did ask for privacy as the case continues. “This is a difficult situation for my family and me,” he told The New York Post. “I want to ask everyone to please respect our privacy at this time. For now, I will let the lawsuit speak for itself and will offer no further comment.”
The suit will continue to play out both in the courtroom and in the public eye.
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