A Tennessee judge announced the termination of a longstanding conservatorship agreement between former NFL star Michael Oher and his high school benefactors, Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, on Friday morning.
The decision, handed down by Shelby County Probate Court Judge Kathleen Gomes, unwinds the legal bind from 2004 that granted the Tuohys control over Oher’s financial dealings.
Oher, an NFL offensive tackle, became part of the Tuohy household in his teenage years, a story that inspired the film, The Blind Side. However, the real-life narrative has since taken an unanticipated twist in recent months.
At 18, Oher signed a conservatorship agreement with the Tuohys that granted them legal access to his life while he was beginning his football career. Fast forward to 2023, the now 37-year-old Oher alleges the Tuohys took advantage of his budding fame for financial gain under false pretenses of adoption. Oher has requested the Tuohys provide a financial accounting of money that may have come to them as part of the conservatorship.
Gomes has shared she is not dismissing the case. She said she was disturbed that an agreement like this was ever reached, as she had never seen a conservatorship agreement reached with someone who was not disabled during her 43-year career.
“I cannot believe it got done,” she said.
The Tuohys, on their end, have called Oher’s accusations “outlandish, hurtful and absurd,” and claim he knew it was a conservatorship the entire time. They argue the conservatorship was a necessity to help Oher navigate NCAA regulations, ensuring his athletic pursuits at the University of Mississippi remained unimpeded.
Oher is continuing to seek a thorough accounting and reimbursement, with accrued interest, of the earnings generated through his name and likeness.
