Michael Oher, 37, became a household name after the book-turned-movie, The Blind Side, became a hit between 2006 and 2009. Now, nearly 20 years later, the former NFL star filed a legal petition claiming that Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy did not adopt him after all, as reported by ESPN on Aug. 14, 2023. The 14-page petition, filed in Shelby County, Tennessee, obtained by the sports outlet claimed that the couple reportedly “tricked” Michael into signing documents that made them his conservators soon after his 18th birthday in 2004.
Upon becoming his conservators, Sean and Leigh Anne had the “legal authority” to make business decisions for Michael. More so, the petition alleged that the duo “used their power” to make a deal that “paid them and their two birth children millions of dollars in royalties,” for The Blind Side movie. The hit movie became an Oscar-winning film and starred actress Sandra Bullock and Quinton Aaron.
“The lie of Michael’s adoption is one upon which Co-Conservators Leigh Anne Tuohy and Sean Tuohy have enriched themselves at the expense of their Ward, the undersigned Michael Oher,” the legal filing obtained by ESPN read. “Michael Oher discovered this lie to his chagrin and embarrassment in February of 2023, when he learned that the Conservatorship to which he consented on the basis that doing so would make him a member of the Tuohy family, in fact provided him no familial relationship with the Tuohys.” Amid the ongoing legal drama, below is everything to know about Michael’s wife, siblings, his children, and more.
Michael Oher’s Wife
One year before the release of The Blind Side book, Michael met his leading lady, Tiffany Roy. The duo met in 2005 at the University of Mississippi, per PEOPLE, and went on to marry each other nearly 20 years later in Nov. 2022. Although they first locked eyes in 2005 it wasn’t until Jul. 2021 that Michael and Tiffany got engaged.
“Michael has a glow in his eyes when he looks at me. He puts me first no matter what he has on his schedule for the day he makes sure his family is taken care of. I love his love for his family and our kids,” his wife told PEOPLE at the time of their wedding. Soon after that, the proud hubby took to his Instagram account to share a sweet moment from their big day.
“Filled with joy, can’t believe people took their time and came to celebrate! My beautiful wife, I love you so much, thank you for blessing me with our family! Easily the best single weekend I’ve ever been apart of,” he gushed in the wedding photo caption. “Not being from the area everyone came to was even more special. I won’t be able to tell everyone thank you, if I saw you this weekend , thank you! I’m complete, let’s keep trending upward!”
Michael Oher’s Siblings
The now 37-year-old has plenty of siblings, including his Sean and his wife’s children. The 63-year-old and her husband have two children including son Sean “SJ” Tuohy Jr. (b. 1993) and daughter Collins Tuohy (b. 1986). Aside from Michael’s two siblings from Leigh Anne and Sean’s marriage, the former athlete also has eight other brothers and sisters. His other siblings include: Marcus Oher, Carlos Oher, John Oher, Andre Oher, Deljuan Oher, Tara Oher, Rico Oher, and Denise Oher. ESPN reports that he came from a family of twelve siblings, however, many of those details remain unknown. It is unclear what relationship (if any) Michael has with his siblings.
Michael Oher's brother SJ Tuohy joined @BarstoolRadio to speak on the lawsuit from Michael Oher's team pic.twitter.com/g1z2dhoIxg
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) August 14, 2023
Most recently, on Aug. 14, 2023, SJ spoke to Barstool Sports about the legal drama surrounding his parents and Michael. “I’m going to preface this by saying I loved Mike at 16… I love Mike now at 37 and I love him at 67, ” Leigh Anne and her husband’s son said at the time. He went on to say that he found it “hard to believe” that Michael learned about the conservatorship in Feb. 2023. “If he says that he learned that in February I find that hard to believe,” the 30-year-old quipped.
In a later part of the interview, SJ went on to claim that he made around “2.5%” off the hit movie, per Barstool Sports. “I think it’s like 2.5 percent,” he explained. “[I] have made 60 or 70 grand over the course of the last four to five years.” SJ added that one of his first checks was around $14K but later “went down” in the amount over the years.
Michael Oher’s Kids
The former Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle went on to have his own family apart from the Tuohys. Tiffany and Michael have welcomed four kids during their nearly 20-year relationship. Their kiddos include sons Kobi and MJ along with daughters Kierstin and Naivi. The couple is relatively private about their family and tend to not post them on social media. In Mar. 2023, the proud father-of-four shared a rare family photo via Instagram to gush about his loved ones. “Life is Beautiful‼️#family #life #growth,” he captioned the snapshot at the time.
Michael Oher & The Tuohy Family
Leigh Anne and Sean allegedly asked Michael to move in with them during the summer of 2004 and “adopted” him soon after. The latest documents obtained by ESPN dispute that Michael was ever adopted by the family. Soon after the hit 2009 movie became a success, Michael reportedly discovered that he was allegedly not receiving royalties, per PEOPLE. Around the same time, his relationship with the Tuoys began to reportedly “fall apart.” Leigh Anne and Sean have not spoken publicly about the claims at the time of this publication.