Where Is the 'Blind Side' Family Now? What to Know About Michael Oher and the Touhys

Oher and the family were the inspiration behind the Oscar-nominated film ‘The Blind Side’

Almost 14 years after the release of The Blind Side, Michael Oher’s family is making headlines once again. 

On Aug. 14, the retired NFL star whose life inspired the Oscar-nominated film, filed a legal petition to terminate a conservatorship alleging Leigh Anne Tuohy and Sean Tuohy lied about adopting him while making millions off his name.

In a filing in the Shelby County, Tenn. probate court, Oher claimed the Tuohy family tricked him into making them his conservators when he was 18, allegedly telling him there was no consequential difference between being adopted and entering into a conservatorship.

“Michael trusted the Tuohys and signed where they told him to sign,” the legal filing, obtained by PEOPLE, claims. “What he signed, however, and unknown to Michael until after February 2023, were not adoption papers, or the equivalent of adoption papers.”

Oher also alleged in his petition that the Tuohys, including Leigh Anne and Sean’s two children by birth, Collins Tuohy and Sean Tuohy Jr., were paid $225,000 for the 2009 film The Blind Side plus 2.5% of the film’s proceeds, and did not include him in the deal.

The Tuohys, however, alleged in their 2010 book, In a Heartbeat: Sharing the Power of Cheerful Giving, that they split the profits “five ways,” according to ESPN, who first reported the news.

Here’s everything to know about Oher and where the Tuohy family is now. 

Michael Oher

Jeff Zelevansky/Getty

Oher first met the Tuohy family when he was a student at Briarcrest Christian School in Eads, Tenn. after bouncing around a number of foster homes since he was 11 years old, having been raised in a family of 12. His mother Denise had struggled with drug addiction and his father died in 2004.

While attending Briarcrest, he often stayed with classmates’ families because he was “on his own” and “nearly penniless,” according to his recent legal filing. After “occasionally” staying with the Tuohy family during that time, the filing claims the family invited him to officially move in during the summer of 2004. 

“Almost immediately after Michael moved in, the Tuohys presented him with what he understood to be legal papers that were a necessary step in the adoption process,” the filing claims. 

The conservatorship papers he wound up signing instead gave the Tuohys “total control” over Oher’s ability to sign contracts, the petition alleges. His filing claims the Tuohy family “falsely and publicly represented themselves” as Oher’s adoptive parents.

Though he received scholarship offers from a number of colleges after high school, Oher ultimately decided to play football at the University of Mississippi, the alma mater of Leigh Anne and Sean. In 2009, he graduated with a degree in criminal justice. 

That same year, he was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens during the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. The Tuohy family was by his side for the special honor. The family also cheered on Oher at the 2013 Super Bowl, when the Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers. Following his Super Bowl win, Oher played for the Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers before retiring from professional football in 2017. 

Oher’s relationship with the Tuohy family began to fall apart after the release of The Blind Side, which he said bothered him because it depicted him as unintelligent. He then learned he was the only member of the family not receiving royalty checks from the film, his attorney J. Gerard Stranch IV told ESPN.

In recent years, Oher has been notably absent from the family’s social media profiles. The family was also not photographed at Oher’s wedding in November 2022, when he tied the knot with his college sweetheart, Tiffany Roy, with whom he shares four children. 

Sean Tuohy

Stephen Lovekin/Getty

Sean (pictured right) was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, before attending the University of Mississippi where he played basketball and met his future wife Leigh Anne. The couple tied the knot in 1982 before welcoming two children together, a daughter named Collins and a son named Sean Jr. 

Following graduation, Sean was drafted by the NBA’s New Jersey Nets in 1982, but he opted to “continue his career overseas before returning to the US to be with his father during his final days,” per his bio on his wife’s official website. The website adds that he “became a successful entrepreneur building a company that now owns and operates fast food restaurants including Taco Bell, KFC and Freddy’s.” 

Sean and Leigh Anne were the subjects of Michael Lewis’ 2006 book, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game, and its 2009 feature film adaptation, The Blind Side, which detailed their raising of Oher. 

Following the film’s release, Sean and Leigh Anne released In a Heartbeat: Sharing the Power of Cheerful Giving and established their charity, The Making it Happen Foundation, which “promotes awareness, provides help, and seeks to improve the standard of living for all the children fighting to survive in the invisible cracks in society,” per Leigh Anne’s website. 

In February 2013, the Tuohy family was on the sidelines as Oher competed in the Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens. Though Sean isn’t very active on social media, fans immediately took notice of how Oher was absent from the family’s Easter celebration in 2016. A few months earlier, Sean had posted a photo with Oher, saying he was “proud” of him. 

Leigh Anne Tuohy

Dimitrios Kambouris/VF1/WireImage

Leigh Anne was born and raised in Memphis, Tenn, before attending college at the University of Mississippi. While studying at the university, where she was a cheerleader and member of the Kappa Delta sorority, she met her future husband Sean. 

Leigh Anne describes herself as a “motivational speaker and an interior designer by trade” on her website, with her work featured on numerous TV shows including HGTV, Extreme Makeover Home Edition, Designing on a Dime and Family Addition. 

In addition to writing In a Heartbeat: Sharing the Power of Cheerful Giving with her husband and establishing their charity The Making it Happen Foundation, she released a five-day-per-week devotional titled Turn Around in 2015. 

Although Oher’s recent petition against Sean and Leigh Anne claims the couple never adopted him, Leigh Anne refers to Oher as her “adopted son” on her website. She also lists herself as a “mother to 3 great kids” on her Instagram bio. 

Oher has been featured on Leigh Anne’s Instagram in a number of throwback posts, including one from 2021 where she reflected on a big win with the Panthers five years prior. “In the last few years I’ve truly realized we all have an expiration date so live everyday to the fullest!” she captioned the post in part. “Surround yourself with people who are encouraging, inspiring and motivating. Be generous and less judgemental. But more than anything be the reason that someone believes in the goodness of God!” 

Collins Tuohy Smith

Collins Tuohy Smith/Instagram

Per Leigh’s website, “Collins grew close to Michael” as they attended Briarcrest Christian School together, and “she helped him adjust to both Briarcrest and his new life with the Tuohy family.” The two also bonded over their athletic pursuits as Collins won the Tennessee State Championship in the Pole Vault and Michael earned All-State honors in the discus and basketball championships.

Like her parents, Collins attended the University of Mississippi where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism. According to Leigh’s website, Collins is co-owner of Whimsy Cookie Company, which sells custom-order decorative sugar cookies. She is also on the board of her parents’ The Making it Happen Foundation. 

In October 2016, Collins married her husband Cannon Smith, the brother of Molly Smith who executive produced The Blind Side film, per The Hollywood Reporter. Oher was in attendance at Collins’ wedding, where he walked Leigh Anne down the aisle with Sean Jr. and was seen wearing matching hats with Collins on the dance floor. 

Sean Jr. Tuohy

Sean Tuohy/Instagram

According to Leigh Anne’s website, Sean Jr. earned his bachelor’s degree in Communications with a specialization in journalism and marketing from Loyola University Maryland, where he also lettered as a member of the basketball team. 

Following his graduation, he earned his master’s degree in Humanistic Studies at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where he also played football. He went on to study at Liberty University, earning his doctorate in the business school. 

In 2021, he joined the University of Central Florida as Director of Football Operations and currently serves as the Executive Director at The Kingdom NIL, per his LinkedIn. Like his sister, he also serves on the board of The Making It Happen Foundation. 

In May 2020, Oher made an appearance on Sean Jr.’s Instagram account as he posted a Mother’s Day tribute. The photo showed Leigh Anne standing between Sean Jr. and Oher in the kitchen.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education