The True Story Behind The “Blind Side”

Michael’s Mother Was Indeed A Drug Addict

In the film, Michael’s mother, Denise Oher, is depicted as being addicted to crack cocaine. The real-life Michael later revealed in an interview with 20/20: “She wasn’t really around too much. I took care of myself most of the time.” Michael was one of 12 children raised in a housing project known as Hurt Village in a crime-infested area of North Memphis.

In 2013, Denise told WMC Action News 5: “That addiction is very hard to just stop. You have to work on it. You have to pray and you have to be committed to it and you have you want to change your life from that.”