Legendary retired boxer Tommy Hearns has been placed under the conservatorship of his oldest son, Ronald Hearns.
According to WXYZ, the man known in the sport as “The Hitman” is also under Ronald’s guardianship after a court hearing on March 11. Ronald would be the sole person to make decisions regarding his father’s personal affairs, including financial and medical matters, under a ruling by Oakland County Chief Probate Judge Pro Tempore Daniel A. O’Brien.
“I’m fine. I want the world to know that I’m doing fine. I feel good,” Hearns said in an exclusive conversation. “I just want things to just be calm and good, and just move smoothly.”
The move comes after a diagnosis of dementia was disclosed by the family. He also recently lost his home due to tax foreclosure, but he is living with Ronald.
In recent court appearances, family members complained that he was being kept from other members of the family and that he may have been a victim of financial exploitation and alleged kidnapping by some relatives. At an emergency guardianship hearing on Feb. 23, Judge O’Brien heard from family members and Adult Protective Services (APS) workers who were searching for Hearns after being told that Tommy’s daughter and his sister would not disclose his whereabouts.
APS officials were suspicious after Hearns’ sister, Louise, started a GoFundMe fundraiser for the 67-year-old former boxer.
Before the judge’s ruling, all family members agreed to appoint Ronald as Tommy’s guardian and conservator.
“Knowing that you’ve been loved and been thought about, it’s a good feeling because people don’t have to think about you or care anything about you at all. But when people do care about you, and they really do love you… ” It’s a good feeling for me,” Tommy said.
The fighter has won six championship titles and, during his career, became the first boxer to win titles in five different weight classes. He was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame in 2012.