The Blindside - the truth will finally come out

[TN-peach]

Michael Oher the subject of the book and the movie "The Blind Side" filed in Memphis court a petition to end the CONSERVATORSHIP that the Tuohys created for him when he was 18 so that he could attend Ole Miss and the NCAA wouldn't get mad.  He is alleging that he was told he was adopted but he never was.  Also, the family made $$$$$ off the movie and book but not him.  The book and movie made him out to be someone who could not read and did not football until they took him in which FAR from the truth. 

 

As someone who lives in Memphis and lived here during that time, the rumors were rampant that he was being used and that the family were "not good people."  I am really sad for Michael that the rumors were true but there is a lot of "I told you so" going on in Memphis right now. 

[CTRLZero]

Thank you.  For years I had heard these sad rumors, but wasn’t sure what was true.  

[Giraffe]

I didn’t hear the rumors but even before I knew “white savior” the story felt very uncomfortable. Sadly the new details haven’t surprised me in the least. 

[thoughtful]

About a year ago, IIRC, I was flipping channels and noticed that the movie was on TV. I vaguely remembered having seen some stuff about it being controversial when it first came out.

I'd missed the very beginning, but watched the rest of it out of curiosity about what the big deal was (because otherwise, a formulaic feel-good movie that involved football would have gotten a pass from me ).

And even in the film, which was supposed to paint the family in a good light, I found the White Savior feel to it sickening, and the story and the family's motives seemed sketchy.

ETA - one of the things about the film that bothered me was that it felt like the family just wanted a big bruiser who was "theirs," to go play at Ole Miss. Even if they'd all been white, or black, it still would have felt creepy to me.

 

Edited August 15, 2023 by thoughtful

[marmalade]

The family responds.

Says everything is false and that they were blackmailed by Michael. 

Shit is gonna get ugly 

[libgirl2]

17 hours ago, marmalade said:

The family responds.

Says everything is false and that they were blackmailed by Michael. 

Shit is gonna get ugly 

My local radio station had their weekend "Mr. Fix-it" guy on. He had an interesting perspective on this whole situation. When he was 17, he was taken in by a family like Michael was. He said he was so lucky because at that age he could have ended up in real trouble that would ruin his life. He said the family took Michael in, gave him a home considered him their son, basically they helped him to have a good life. He also mentioned how the family had just sold their fast food franchise holdings and made like 200 million, they don't need Michael's money. 

 Something is up, who is talking in his ear? And why now? 

Edited August 16, 2023 by libgirl2

[TuringMachine]

1 hour ago, libgirl2 said:

He also mentioned how the family had just sold their fast food franchise holdings and made like 200 million, they don't need Michael's money. 

I mean, it wouldn't be the first time rich people did something gross to make themselves more money.

[libgirl2]

1 minute ago, TuringMachine said:

I mean, it wouldn't be the first time rich people did something gross to make themselves more money.

And it wouldn't be the first time, someone turns a person against their loved ones for money. 

[kpmom]

I only vaguely followed the story when the book and movie came out. But, I recall throughout the years Michael expressed regret over the book and movie and said he wished they had never been made. 
I wondered why he felt that way, assuming (naively) the story was a feel good, happy ending story. 
Now I see why he said what he did. 
In the past, did the family say they actually adopted Michael?  I think the movie made them out to be adoptive parents. 
 

 

[SPHASH]

I saw the movie when it was released.  I enjoyed because it was football and Tim McGraw and Sandra Bullock are favorites of mine.  I even bought the DVD.  I am going to watch it again this weekend with fresh eyes with all the shit that has happened.

[TN-peach]

As of earlier this week, LeAnn had Michael listed on her website as her "adopted son."  I believe it was the LA Times that first reported that. 

Michael has always said that he hated his portrayal in the movie - someone who is dumb and can't read and didn't know anything about football.  He was already playing football at the small private school when he went to live the family.  He was already being recruited by several schools.  The family only had to create some sort of legal relationship with Michael only if he went to Ole Miss.  If he went to any other school, the NCAA would not have cared.  But because the family were alumni and boosters of Ole Miss, they could not provide Michael any extra benefits unless he was family so they had no choice but fake adopt him.  (Adult adoption is legal in TN despite what the Tuohys say).

[SPHASH]

The Tuohys hired a criminal defense lawyer to represent them, that speaks volumes.

[TuringMachine]

Judge says she is ending conservatorship between former NFL player Michael Oher and Memphis couple

https://apnews.com/article/michael-oher-blind-side-tuohys-ee1997025e6c9013e4d665ef18d95dc7

Quote

[Judge] Gomes said she was disturbed that such an agreement was ever reached. She said she had never seen in her 43-year career a conservatorship agreement reached with someone who was not disabled.

“I cannot believe it got done,” she said.

Emily D Baker was also expressing her astonishment that a conservatorship was approved for an 18 year old with no disabilities.

Also from the Tuohys filing in the same article:

Quote

[The Tuohys] acknowledged that websites show them referring to Oher as an adopted son, but the term was only used “in the colloquial sense and they have never intended that reference to be viewed with legal implication.”

They are really not looking good. What non-nefarious reason could they have for putting him under a conservatorship? 

I think Oher needs to have the original judge looked into as well. I'd be very suspicious of them being corrupt in order to have let this happen.