Michael Oher’s Former Football Coach Speaks Up About “The Blind Side” Subject And His Thoughts On The Tuohys

You might have heard that Michael Oher filed a petition against his family the Tuohys, claiming he was never adopted and that the family used him to increase their own profits.

In light of this and the media storm that followed, Michael Oher’s former coach Hugh Freeze has decided to weigh in on the drama.

Here’s what he has to say about Oher’s relationship with his so-called adoptive parents.

Hugh Freeze Calls Michael Oher’s Petition “Sad”

On Aug. 17, coach Hugh Freeze told The Athletic that he believes the truth will eventually come out in court, after it was revealed that Oher filed a lawsuit against Memphis couple Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy.

The lawsuit saw Oher, a retired NFL player, accuse the couple of lying about his adoption, and of profiting off of his life story through the 2009 movie “The Blind Side.”

Freeze — who worked with Oher as the coach at Briarcrest Christian School in Memphis and then as assistant coach at Ole Miss — called the development a sad thing.

“I certainly don’t claim to understand all the ins and outs of adoption, conservatory, all of that. I know what I witnessed,” he continued.

“I witnessed a family that totally took in a young man and I think without that, there is no story.”

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Sam Tuohy Reacts To Michael Oher’s Lawsuit

In response to the lawsuit, Sean Tuohy expressed his shock about the allegations and how devastating it was for him, adding, “It’s upsetting to think we would make money off any of our children.”

He went on to add that the only funds they made from “The Blind Side” came from the original book author, Michael Lewis, who “gave us half of his share” when he sold the film rights to the book.

“Everybody in the family got an equal share, including Michael. It was about $14,000, each,” Sean said. “We were never offered money; we never asked for money.”

The family then shared their plans to voluntarily terminate Oher’s conservation after nearly twenty years.

However, the family’s lawyer went on to blast Oher’s petition as “absurd” and “transparently ridiculous.”

“The Tuohys opened their home to Mr. Oher, offered him structure, support and, most of all, unconditional love,” he said. “They have consistently treated him like a son and one of their three children.”

Oher, who is now 37 and married with four children, expressed in a statement that he was “disheartened by the revelation shared in the lawsuit,” saying in the filing that he only learned in February 2023 that agreeing to the conservatorship back in 2004 did not give him familial ties to the Tuohys.

He has refused to comment further about the case, saying that he’ll “let the lawsuit speak for itself and will offer no further comment.”

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