- Brandon Drenon
- BBC News, Washington
Image Source, Getty Images
Michael Oher claims the Tuohys tricked him into becoming a guardian
A Tennessee judge said she is ending the conservatorship of former NFL player Michael Oher, best known for the movie based on his life, “The Blind Side.”
An agreement reached in 2004 gave Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy legal control of Oher’s finances.
He was 18 years old at the time of the agreement and lived with Tuohy.
Judge Kathleen Gomez said she was disturbed that such an agreement was reached at all and that she “cannot believe it was reached.”
In Tennessee, a conservatorship takes away a person’s right to make their own decisions and is often used in cases of illness or disability.
According to court documents, Mr. Oher’s guardianship was approved “even though he was over 18 years of age and had no diagnosed physical or psychological disabilities.”
Ms. Gomez said she has never seen a custody agreement with someone who is not disabled.
Her decision on Friday did not end the legal feud between Tuohy and Mr Oher.
Mr Oher said he received “nothing” for the Oscar-winning film based on his life. It earned over $300 million (£237 million) at the worldwide box office.
The former professional American football player, now 37, also asked Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy to provide a financial statement of the money they may have earned under the conservatorship.
Mr Oher claims they used his name, image and likeness to enrich themselves, which the Tuohys deny.
In their court papers, they said they never signed any football contracts with Oher and that he was satisfied with their financial arrangements from The Blind Side.
The family called Mr Oher’s claims that they were enriching themselves at his expense “absurd” and part of Mr Oher’s “extortion”.
In August, he filed a petition and accused Tuohy of lying to him by getting him to sign guardianship when he thought he was signing papers to make them his adoptive parents.
Tuohy’s family said signing the guardianship was the only way to get the star football player into college.
The release of The Blind Side coincided with Oher’s emergence in the National Football League, where he spent eight seasons, primarily with the Baltimore Ravens.
The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture and won Sandra Bullock’s only Academy Award for her performance as Leigh Anne Tuohy.