Michael Oher was spotted stepping out in public for the first time since filing a bombshell lawsuit that claimed his parents, Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, never actually adopted him.
The 37-year-old former offensive tackle attended a Baltimore book signing event on Monday for his recent memoir release, titled “When Your Back’s Against the Wall: Fame, Football, and Lessons Learned through a Lifetime of Adversity.”
And during his outing, the ex-NFL star was pictured beaming from ear to ear while posing with fans at the event.
After signing some copies for fans, Oher briefly addressed the crowd, telling them he couldn’t divulge much information about what’s currently happening as the case is legally binding.
“This book, it means a lot to me,” Oher said. “Basically, it’s a playbook on life and how I continue to fight back and when your back’s against the wall. That’s how I’ve felt all my life.”
Michael Oher at the book signing for his biography “When Your Back’s Against The Wall: Fame, Football, and Lessons Learned through a Lifetime of Adversity” in Baltimore, Maryland on Aug. 21, 2023. Shutterstock
Oher posing with fans at his book signing on Monday at The Ivy Bookshop in Baltimore. AP
This is the first time the former NFL lineman has been seen in public since filing a lawsuit against Sean and Leah Anne Tuohy. APOher donned a floral short-sleeve shirt for the outing, which he paired with beige khaki pants and a gold necklace with a cross pendant.
The former athlete sent social media into orbit last week after claiming in court documents that he was never actually adopted by the Tuohys.
Oher claimed the conservatorship he was in allowed the Memphis couple to retain legal power over him and that they made millions from “The Blind Side” — which grossed $300 million at the box office — while didn’t get a cent.
Oher is suing Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy for lying to him by having him sign papers making them his conservators rather than his adoptive parents nearly two decades ago. AP
Oher while playing for the Ole Miss Rebels stands with the Tuohys during a family ceremony for seniors prior to a game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Nov. 28, 2008, in Oxford, Mississippi. Getty ImagesHe accused the Tuohys of falsely representing themselves as his adoptive parents, saying he discovered in February that the conservatorship was not the arrangement he believed it to be.
He said that he was “falsely advised” that it would be called a conservatorship because he was already 18, but that adoption was actually the intent.
He is asking for a full accounting of the money earned off the use of his name, including the blockbuster 2009 flick starring Sandra Bullock and the novel that inspired it.
For their part, the Tuohy family has called Oher’s filing “hurtful” and “a shameful shakedown attempt” — claiming that Oher was well aware he had not been adopted.
The couple’s attorneys said the Tuohys and Oher have been estranged for about a decade.
With Post wires
