Michael Oher Made A Telling Admission In His Book In 2011
NEW ORLEANS, LA - FEBRUARY 03: Michael Oher #74 of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates after the Ravens won 34-31 against the San Francisco 49ers during Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on February 3, 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Former Ole Miss and NFL offensive lineman Michael Oher is at the center of "The Blind Side" controversy, as he's suing his "family," the Tuohys, alleging they tricked him into signing into a conservatorship.
But an excerpt from his 2011 book seems to indicate he was aware of what was happening.
“It kind of felt like a formality, as I’d been a part of the family for more than a year at that point. Since I was already over the age of eighteen and considered an adult by the state of Tennessee, Sean and Leigh Anne would be named as my ‘legal conservators,'” Oher wrote in the book.
“They explained to me that it means pretty much the exact same thing as ‘adoptive parents. But that the laws were just written in a way that took my age into account. Honestly, I didn’t care what it was called. I was just happy that no one could argue that we weren’t legally what we already knew was real: We were a family.”
The book, "I Beat The Odds: From Homelessness, to The Blind Side, and Beyond," was released in 2011.
OXFORD, MS - NOVEMBER 28: Michael Oher #74 of the Ole Miss Rebels stands with his family during senior ceremonies prior to a game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on November 28, 2008 in Oxford, Mississippi. (Photo by Matthew Sharpe/Getty Images)
The Tuohy family, meanwhile, claims to be devastated by the news.
“We’re devastated,” Sean Tuohy told the Daily Memphian. “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 added: “We didn’t make any money off the movie. Well, Michael Lewis gave us half of his share. Everybody in the family got an equal share, including Michael. It was about $14,000, each. . . . We were never offered money; we never asked for money. My money is well-documented; you can look up how much I sold my company for.”
