Blind Side subject Michael Oher sues ‘adoptive parents’

Former NFL star alleges story that became Hollywood blockbuster was all a lie

Sandra Bullock and Quinton Aaron in The Blind Side
Sandra Bullock won the Best Actress Oscar for her role in ‘The Blind Side’
(Image credit: PictureLux/The Hollywood Archive/Alamy Stock Photo)

Michael Oher, the real-life subject of Oscar-winning film “The Blind Side”, has alleged the story is built on a series of lies.

The “rags-to-riches tale” about the foster child who became an American football star was an inspiring 2009 film. But 37-year-old Oher, who last played in the NFL in 2016, is now suing Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, the Tennessee couple that supposedly adopted him.

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Rebekah Evans joined The Week as newsletter editor in 2023 and has written on subjects ranging from Ukraine and Afghanistan to fast fashion and "brotox". She started her career at Reach plc, where she cut her teeth on news, before pivoting into personal finance at the height of the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis. Social affairs is another of her passions, and she has interviewed people from across the world and from all walks of life. Rebekah completed an NCTJ with the Press Association and has written for publications including The Guardian, The Week magazine, the Press Association and local newspapers.