Blind Side Parents Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy Say They Never Intended to Adopt Mi
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00:00 The blindside parents, Sean and Leanne Toohey,
00:03 claim they never intended to adopt Michael Orr.
00:06 Why'd you do this for me?
00:08 What?
00:09 Everything.
00:10 Was it for you or was it for me?
00:11 Was it so I would go to school where you wanted?
00:14 In new legal docs obtained by ET, the Toohey's deny Michael's claims
00:19 that they lied about adopting him and tricked him into a conservatorship
00:22 in order to profit off his story.
00:25 We believe the proof will show that he was not cheated out of anything.
00:30 He was not misled.
00:33 The fact of the matter is he claims he was tricked into believing he was adopted.
00:39 In the Toohey's response, the couple claims they never intended to, and in fact never
00:44 did, take any assumed legal custody of Michael when they took him in as a teenager.
00:50 And they vehemently deny that they told Michael they intended to legally adopt him.
00:55 The Toohey's admit they occasionally referred to Michael as a son and have always felt like
01:00 he was a son, but they allege that the word "son" was used in the colloquial sense.
01:05 Quote, "They have never intended that reference to be viewed with legal implication."
01:11 How are Sean and Leanne handling all of this right now?
01:15 Like a death in the family.
01:17 It's a family being fragmented.
01:21 As for why the Toohey's chose a conservatorship, the couple claims it all started when the
01:26 then-teen was presented with the opportunity to play college football.
01:30 They claim Michael couldn't consider going to the University of Mississippi as a result
01:35 of living with their family, adding that the NCAA made it clear the only way he could attend
01:40 Ole Miss is if he was a part of the family, and the conservatorship was the tool chosen
01:46 to accomplish this goal.
01:47 Quote, "There was never an intent to adopt him."
01:51 The Toohey's also allege that Michael's claim that he only found out about the conservatorship
01:55 in February is false, citing his 2011 book, I Beat the Odds, as alleged proof.
02:02 The problem is he wrote a book.
02:04 In the book he says it was a conservatorship.
02:08 Sean and Leanne would be named as my legal conservators.
02:12 They explained to me that it means pretty much the exact same thing as "adoptive parents."
02:17 He's saying, "Well, I was tricked when the conservatorship was first signed."
02:25 Four years later he's not complaining about it.
02:28 Now the couple says they are ready, willing, and able to terminate the conservatorship
02:32 by consent at any time.
02:34 Never had one before.
02:37 What a room to yourself.
02:39 I bet.
02:40 The blindside grossed over $300 million at the box office.
02:45 Michael claims he didn't make a cent, but the Toohey family attorneys disagree, and
02:49 they claim to have a paper trail to prove it.
02:53 We estimate each person received $100,000.
02:56 Each person in the family.
02:59 Including Mr. Horgan.
03:00 Correct.
03:01 Is there any thought that maybe he should have gotten a bigger slice than one-fifth
03:05 of the pot, than an equal?
03:07 I don't know.
03:08 What was the movie about?
03:09 A family taking in a person who had suffered a hard life.
03:15 And every family member sacrificed in that.
03:19 You protect his blindside.
03:20 When you look at him, you think of me.
03:22 Is this something that you see that could actually go to trial?
03:25 There's not going to be a second.
03:26 I don't know.
03:27 I don't know.
03:27 I don't know.
03:29 (bells chiming)
03:32 [BLANK_AUDIO]