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The Blind Side family are ending their 19-year conservatorship for Michael Oher

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The Blind Side family are ending their 19-year conservatorship for Michael Oher

The family inspired the 2009 film starring Sandra Bullock

The family who inspired Sandra Bullock's 2009 drama The Blind Side have announced plans to end their conservatorship with Michael Oher.

Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy took Oher under their wing nearly two decades ago, when he was experiencing homelessness as a teenager.

With the support of the Touhys, Oher attended their alma mater, Ole Miss, and became a first-round NFL draft pick.

However, in February this year Oher allegedly learned that he'd never legally been adopted by the Touhys, as he claimed to believe was the case when he signed documents 19 years ago.

In reality, the documents meant the Tuohys would become Oher's conservators.

Oher filed a lawsuit against the family in which he accused them of deceiving him over his legal family status, and of

exploiting his life for financial gain.

In 2009, Bullock took on the role of Leigh Anne Tuohy in The Blind Side, which was inspired by Oher's story and based on the 2006 Michael Lewis book of the same name.

Now, a lawyer for the Tuohys has announced that the couple will enter into a consent order to end the conservatorship.

Lawyer Randall Fishman also claimed Oher knew very well that he had not been adopted, arguing that he had mentioned the Tuohys being conservators for him three times in his first book, I Beat The Odds: From Homeless, To The Blind Side.

Michael Oher claimed to believe he had been adopted by the Tuohys.
Icon Sports Wire / Contributor

Marty Singer, another attorney for the family, has branded Oher's petition as 'hurtful and absurd'.

“The idea that the Tuohys have ever sought to profit off Mr. Oher is not only offensive, it is transparently ridiculous,” Singer said.

He claimed the couple 'treated him like a son and one of their three children', adding: “His response was to threaten them, including saying that he would plant a negative story about them in the press unless they paid him $15 million."

Meanwhile, Oher's attorney Don Barrett told NBC News: "We try cases in the courtroom based on the facts. We have confidence in our judicial system and in our client Michael Oher. We believe that justice will be served in the courtroom, and we hope to get there quickly.”

Quinton Aaron, the actor who portrayed Oher in the film, released a statement in the wake of the footballer's lawsuit in which he said he was 'shocked' about the claims being made.

Speaking to NBC, he added: "To be honest, I’m not up-to-date on all of the details of the matter. However, I am praying for both families in the hopes that they can somehow come to a resolve that makes everyone (whole).”

Featured Image Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/VF1/Contributor/Icon Sports Wire / Contributor

Topics: Film and TV, US News, The Blind Side, Michael Oher