What Is the Michael Oher Lawsuit?
The Michael Oher lawsuit is a single-plaintiff probate petition that asks a Tennessee court to end a conservatorship and account for money earned from his life story. It is not a class action or multidistrict litigation.
Oher, a former NFL offensive lineman, filed the petition on August 14, 2023, in Shelby County Probate Court. It names Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, the couple portrayed in the film "The Blind Side."
The 14-page petition asks the court to end the 2004 conservatorship and bar use of his name and likeness. It also seeks a full accounting of earnings, his share of profits, and unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
Why Was the Michael Oher Lawsuit Filed?
The Michael Oher lawsuit was filed because Oher says the Tuohys told him he was joining their family by adoption, when the 2004 papers made them his conservators instead. The petition says he learned this in February 2023.
Oher was 18 and living with the Tuohys when the conservatorship began. The petition says the couple never informed him they would control all his contracts, and that he "did not understand" he was giving up the right to contract for himself.
The money dispute follows from that claim. The petition says the Tuohys later negotiated film rights through Creative Artists Agency, with $225,000 plus 2.5% of defined net proceeds going to each Tuohy family member. It says Oher received nothing.
A reader might wonder why he waited. Oher told The New York Times Magazine in August 2024 that he stayed silent to focus on his NFL career. He also said the suit is not about needing money.
What Harms Does the Michael Oher Lawsuit Allege?
The Michael Oher lawsuit alleges four distinct harms, each defined in plain language below. The Tuohys deny every one of them, and no court has ruled that any of these allegations is true.
Misrepresentation of Adoption
Misrepresentation, in a civil case, is a claim that someone gave false information that another person relied on to their detriment.
Oher alleges the Tuohys let him and the public believe they had adopted him. The petition says he consented to the conservatorship because he thought it would make him a legal member of the family.
The Tuohys say they used the word adopted only in a colloquial sense. Oher's lawyer Anne Johnson told The New York Times that adoption does not have a colloquial meaning.
Breach of Fiduciary Duty
A fiduciary duty is a legal obligation to act in another person's best interest, such as the duty a conservator owes a ward.
Oher alleges the Tuohys "flagrantly disregarded their statutory and fiduciary duties" over 19 years, according to the Los Angeles Times. The petition describes Oher as their ward and the Tuohys as co-conservators.
The Tuohys say the arrangement helped with health insurance, a driver's license, and college admission. They also say they received no money as conservators.
Unjust Enrichment
Unjust enrichment is a legal theory that a person who gained a benefit at another's expense should return it.
The petition asks that money made through the claimed adoption story "be disgorged and paid over" to Oher. It points to speaking engagements that The New York Times Magazine reported earned the Tuohys roughly $8 million.
The petition also targets foundations the Tuohys own or control. Whether any money is owed is a question the court has not decided.
Name, Image and Likeness Misuse
Name, image and likeness rights let a person control how others commercially use their identity.
Oher asks the court to stop the Tuohys from using his name, image and likeness. The petition says a 2007 life story agreement bearing his signature was never explained to him.
The Tuohys argued in December 2023 that they are not engaged in commercial use of his likeness and asked the court to deny a temporary injunction.
What Is the Current Status of the Michael Oher Lawsuit?
The current status of the Michael Oher lawsuit is that the conservatorship has ended while the money claims remain open. No court record or major news report confirms a settlement, dismissal, or final ruling on those claims.
Michael Oher v. Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy
Probate Judge Kathleen Gomes ended the conservatorship on September 29, 2023, and said she was not dismissing the case. She said she had never seen a conservatorship opened for someone who was not disabled. The Tuohys did not oppose ending it.
| Court | Shelby County Probate Court, Tennessee |
| Filed | August 14, 2023 |
| Petitioner | Michael Oher |
| Respondents | Sean Tuohy and Leigh Anne Tuohy |
| Presiding Judge | Kathleen Gomes |
| Relief Sought | End of conservatorship, accounting, share of profits, compensatory and punitive damages |
| Conservatorship | Terminated September 29, 2023 |
| Status | Money claims unresolved in public reporting; a hearing was set for October 2024 |
Oher's lawyers include Don Barrett and Anne Johnson. The Tuohys are represented by Steve Farese, Randy Fishman, and Marty Singer. This page found no public reporting on the October 2024 hearing outcome or a trial date.
Has the Michael Oher Lawsuit Settled?
No. No settlement of the Michael Oher lawsuit has been confirmed in a court order or major news report as of this writing.
The petition seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, so no dollar figure for the claim exists. Some websites describe a confidential settlement, but those pages cite no court record, and this page does not rely on them.
The Tuohys' accounting, described in the documents section below, is a record of payments to Oher. It is not a settlement. Oher has disputed that he received royalty checks.
Any outcome depends on rulings from the Shelby County Probate Court. Only a qualified attorney reviewing the full docket can say what recovery, if any, is realistic.
Michael Oher Lawsuit Updates
Michael Oher lawsuit updates track one probate case in Shelby County, Tennessee. The most recent confirmed court event is the September 2023 end of the conservatorship. Later events in this timeline are filings, statements, and interviews.
Michael Oher Lawsuit Timeline of Events
The Tuohys Become Oher's Conservators
Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy became Michael Oher's conservators in 2004, months after he turned 18. Oher says he signed believing it was an adoption, and the Tuohys say it was meant to address NCAA booster concerns tied to Ole Miss.
Michael Lewis Publishes The Blind Side
Author Michael Lewis released the book The Blind Side in September 2006. Oher's petition says the Tuohys began negotiating movie rights soon afterward.
Life Story Rights Agreement Is Dated
A Life Story Rights Agreement dated April 20, 2007, was purportedly signed by Oher. His petition says he never knowingly signed a document giving away his name and likeness.
Ravens Draft Oher as the Film Releases
The Baltimore Ravens picked Oher 23rd overall in the 2009 NFL Draft. The film "The Blind Side" reached theaters that year and earned Sandra Bullock an Academy Award for playing Leigh Anne Tuohy.
Oher Publishes His Memoir
Oher's 2011 memoir "I Beat the Odds" named the Tuohys as his legal conservators. The Tuohys' lawyers later cited that passage to argue Oher knew he was not adopted.
Oher Says He Learns the Truth
Oher's petition says he discovered in February 2023 that the conservatorship gave him no familial relationship with the Tuohys.
Oher Files His Petition
Oher filed a 14-page petition in Shelby County Probate Court on August 14, 2023. It asks to end the conservatorship and seeks an accounting and damages.
The Tuohys Call the Petition a Shakedown
Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy issued a statement on August 15, 2023, calling Oher's claims outlandish. They said they had given Oher an equal share of every dollar received from the film.
The Tuohys Agree to End the Conservatorship
The Tuohys' lawyer told the Associated Press on August 16, 2023, that the family would enter a consent order ending the conservatorship.
Judge Gomes Terminates the Conservatorship
Shelby County Probate Judge Kathleen Gomes ended the 2004 conservatorship on September 29, 2023. She declined to dismiss Oher's remaining claims.
Tuohys Report Payments to Oher
The Tuohys filed an accounting in Shelby County Probate Court in November 2023 reporting payments to Oher. Later that month, their lawyers said the family would remove references to him being adopted from its website and speaking materials.
Tuohys Allege a $15 Million Demand
The Tuohys filed papers on December 4, 2023, alleging Oher texted a demand for $15 million. They asked the court to deny his request for a temporary injunction.
Oher Speaks to The New York Times Magazine
Oher gave his first extended interview about the case to The New York Times Magazine, published August 18, 2024. He said the case is not about money and that the film's portrayal of him as unintelligent affected how NFL teams saw him. Reporting at that time said the next hearing was set for October 2024.
What Documents Are at the Center of the Michael Oher Lawsuit?
The documents at the center of the Michael Oher lawsuit are the 2004 conservatorship papers, the 2007 life story agreement, and the Tuohys' November 2023 accounting. Each one is disputed.
The Tuohys' accounting reports $138,311.01 paid to Oher between June 2007 and April 2023. It says several checks from 2021 and 2022 did not clear his bank account. It also says the family split proceeds five ways.
The 2007 life story agreement carries a signature Oher says resembles his own. He says nobody presented it to him with an explanation.
Oher's 2011 memoir is the Tuohys' main counter-document. In it, Oher calls Sean and Leigh Anne his "legal conservators" and writes that the laws "took my age into account."
How Have the Tuohys Responded to the Michael Oher Lawsuit?
Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy deny wrongdoing and say Oher's claims are outlandish. Their lawyer Marty Singer called the case a shakedown and said the couple received no money as conservators.
In a September 2023 filing, the Tuohys said there was never an intent to adopt Oher. Leigh Anne Tuohy stated in an affidavit that she used the word adopted "in its colloquial sense."
The Tuohys later alleged in court papers that Oher texted them, "It was 10 million now I want 15 million after taxes," and threatened to go public. Oher told The New York Times he was still trying to figure things out when he sent those texts.
Author Michael Lewis, a friend of Sean Tuohy, told The Washington Post that the Tuohys' share of film profits was around $350,000 each. Lewis is not a party to the case.
How Does the Michael Oher Lawsuit Compare to Other Conservatorship Cases?
The Michael Oher lawsuit compares to other conservatorship disputes in one narrow way: a court-created arrangement became the center of a public fight. It differs because the conservatorship has already ended.
Britney Spears was freed from her conservatorship in late 2021 after publicly demanding its end. That arrangement had controlled her medical, financial, and personal decisions since 2008, according to KQED.
Oher's remaining dispute is about money rather than control. Judge Gomes said the Tuohys did not oppose ending the arrangement, so the open question is accounting and damages.
This page found no other lawsuit between Oher and the Tuohys.
| Case | Arrangement | Status Reported |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Oher v. Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy (this page) | Conservatorship from 2004; Oher was 18 | Ended September 29, 2023; money claims unresolved in public reporting |
| Britney Spears conservatorship | Conservatorship from 2008 | Ended in late 2021 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Michael Oher lawsuit about?
The Michael Oher lawsuit is a probate petition in which Oher says the Tuohys made themselves his conservators instead of adopting him. He also says the family earned money from his life story while he received none, and the Tuohys deny that.
Is the Michael Oher lawsuit a class action?
No. The Michael Oher lawsuit is a single-plaintiff petition in Shelby County Probate Court, not a class action or multidistrict litigation, so there is no class of claimants to join.
Did Michael Oher win his lawsuit against the Tuohys?
Oher won an early point when Judge Gomes ended the conservatorship on September 29, 2023, which the Tuohys did not oppose. No court ruling confirms he has won his money claims, and no settlement has been confirmed.
Was Michael Oher ever adopted by the Tuohys?
No. Oher was never legally adopted by the Tuohys. The conservatorship the Tuohys held gave them legal authority over his contracts, and the Tuohys have said they used the word adopted in a colloquial sense.
How much money did the Tuohys pay Michael Oher?
The Tuohys' November 2023 accounting reports $138,311.01 paid to Oher between June 2007 and April 2023. Oher disputes that he received royalty checks, and the court has not ruled on whose figures are correct.
Where is the Michael Oher lawsuit being heard?
The Michael Oher lawsuit is being heard in Shelby County Probate Court in Tennessee before Judge Kathleen Gomes. A hearing was set for October 2024, and no trial date has been reported.