Tuohys deny allegations in response to Michael Oher petition - ESPN

The couple accused by retired NFL star Michael Oher of tricking him into a conservatorship shortly after he turned 18 and taking all the profits from a blockbuster film about his life filed a legal response Thursday in which they «vehemently denied» enriching themselves at Oher's expense.

In a four-page response to a petition Oher filed in Tennessee last month, Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy said the proceeds from the 2009 hit movie «The Blind Side» were divided evenly among themselves, their two children and Oher.

«All of the Tuohy family including the petitioner agreed to this arrangement, where each party would get 20% of proceeds paid,» the response said. The response went on to say the family received a portion of the $225,000 paid to acclaimed author Michael Lewis, whose best-selling book was the basis for the film.

The couple also said they received a $200,000 donation to their foundation from the film's proceeds. Oher had the opportunity to receive the same amount for the charity of his choice but «failed to take the necessary action,» the response said.

In the legal filing, the Tuohys also denied ever telling Oher they planned to adopt him. However, they acknowledged having used the term «adopt» in a «colloquial sense» to describe their relationship with Oher. «They never intended that reference to be viewed with legal implication,» the response said.

The Tuohys said in the filing that they became Oher's conservators only so he would be eligible to play college football at the University of Mississippi, the Tuohys' alma mater. «When it became clear that the petitioner could not consider going to the University of Mississippi (»Ole Miss") as a result of living with the Respondents, the NCAA made it clear that the only