Photo:Matthew Sharpe/Getty
Matthew Sharpe/Getty
Almost 14 years after the release ofThe Blind Side, Michael Oher’s family is making headlines once again.
On Aug. 14,the retired NFL starwhose life inspired the Oscar-nominated film,filed a legal petition to terminate a conservatorshipalleging Leigh Anne Tuohy and Sean Tuohy lied about adopting him while making millions off his name.
The Tuohys, however, alleged in their 2010 book,In a Heartbeat: Sharing the Power of Cheerful Giving, that they split the profits “five ways,” according toESPN, who first reported the news.
Here’s everything to know about Oher and where the Tuohy family is now.
Michael Oher
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Oher first met the Tuohy family when he was a student at Briarcrest Christian School in Eads, Tenn. after bouncing around a number of foster homes since he was 11 years old, having been raised in a family of 12. His mother Denise had struggled with drug addiction and his father died in 2004.
While attending Briarcrest, he often stayed with classmates’ families because he was “on his own” and “nearly penniless,” according to his recent legal filing. After “occasionally” staying with the Tuohy family during that time, the filing claims the family invited him to officially move in during the summer of 2004.
“Almost immediately after Michael moved in, the Tuohys presented him with what he understood to be legal papers that were a necessary step in the adoption process,” the filing claims.
The conservatorship papers he wound up signing instead gave the Tuohys “total control” over Oher’s ability to sign contracts, the petition alleges. His filing claims the Tuohy family “falsely and publicly represented themselves” as Oher’s adoptive parents.
Though he received scholarship offers from a number of colleges after high school, Oher ultimately decided to play football at the University of Mississippi, the alma mater of Leigh Anne and Sean. In 2009, he graduated with a degree in criminal justice.
Oher’s relationship with the Tuohy family began to fall apart after the release ofThe Blind Side, which he said bothered him because it depicted him as unintelligent. He then learned he was the only member of the family not receiving royalty checks from the film, his attorney J. Gerard Stranch IV told ESPN.
In recent years, Oher has been notably absent from the family’s social media profiles. The family was also not photographed atOher’s wedding in November 2022, when he tied the knot with his college sweetheart,Tiffany Roy, with whom he shares four children.
Sean Tuohy
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Sean (pictured right) was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, before attending the University of Mississippi where he played basketball and met his future wife Leigh Anne. The couple tied the knot in 1982 before welcoming two children together, a daughter named Collins and a son named Sean Jr.
Sean and Leigh Anne were the subjects of Michael Lewis' 2006 book,The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game, and its 2009 feature film adaptation,The Blind Side, which detailed their raising of Oher.
In February 2013, the Tuohy family was on the sidelines as Oher competed in the Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens.Though Sean isn’t very active on social media, fans immediately took notice of how Oher was absent fromthe family’s Easter celebration in 2016. A few months earlier, Sean had posted a photo with Oher, sayinghe was “proud” of him.
Leigh Anne Tuohy
Dimitrios Kambouris/VF1/WireImage
Leigh Anne was born and raised in Memphis, Tenn, before attending college at the University of Mississippi. While studying at the university, where she was a cheerleader and member of the Kappa Delta sorority, she met her future husband Sean.
In addition to writing In aHeartbeat: Sharing the Power of Cheerful Givingwith her husband and establishing their charityThe Making it Happen Foundation, she released a five-day-per-week devotional titledTurn Aroundin 2015.
Although Oher’s recent petition against Sean and Leigh Anne claims the couple never adopted him, Leigh Anne refers toOher as her “adopted son”on her website. She also lists herself as a “mother to 3 great kids” on her Instagram bio.
Oher has been featured on Leigh Anne’s Instagram in a number of throwback posts, including one from 2021 whereshe reflected on a big win with the Panthersfive years prior. “In the last few years I’ve truly realized we all have an expiration date so live everyday to the fullest!” she captioned the post in part. “Surround yourself with people who are encouraging, inspiring and motivating. Be generous and less judgemental. But more than anything be the reason that someone believes in the goodness of God!”
Collins Tuohy Smith
Collins Tuohy Smith/Instagram
Per Leigh’s website, “Collins grew close to Michael” as they attended Briarcrest Christian School together, and “she helped him adjust to both Briarcrest and his new life with the Tuohy family.” The two also bonded over their athletic pursuits as Collins won the Tennessee State Championship in the Pole Vault and Michael earned All-State honors in the discus and basketball championships.
Like her parents, Collins attended the University of Mississippi where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism.According to Leigh’s website, Collins is co-owner ofWhimsy Cookie Company, which sells custom-order decorative sugar cookies. She is also on the board of her parents’ The Making it Happen Foundation.
In October 2016, Collins married her husband Cannon Smith, the brother of Molly Smith, who executive producedThe Blind Sidefilm,perThe Hollywood Reporter.Oher was in attendance at Collins’ wedding, where he walked Leigh Anne down the aisle with Sean Jr. and was seen wearing matching hats with Collins on the dance floor.
Sean Tuohy Jr.
Sean Tuohy/Instagram
According to Leigh Anne’s website, Sean Jr. earned his bachelor’s degree in Communications with a specialization in journalism and marketing from Loyola University Maryland, where he also lettered as a member of the basketball team.
In 2021, he joined the University of Central Florida as Director of Football Operations and currently serves as the Executive Director at The Kingdom NIL,per his LinkedIn. Like his sister, he also serves on the board of The Making It Happen Foundation.
In May 2020, Oher made an appearance on Sean Jr.’s Instagram account ashe posted a Mother’s Day tribute. The photo showed Leigh Anne standing between Sean Jr. and Oher in the kitchen.
source: people.com
