Gene Hackman’s will has been revealed—and the two-time Oscar winner left his entire fortune to his wife, Betsy Arakawa. However, there’s a major twist.
Legal documents obtained confirm that the Hollywood legend named Betsy as his sole beneficiary back in 1995.
What stands out is that his three children—son Christopher and daughters Leslie and Elizabeth—are not mentioned in the will. While everything was initially set to go to Betsy, the timing of their deaths may ultimately determine where the money ends up.
As previously reported, initial findings suggest Betsy passed away due to hantavirus, a rare and potentially fatal disease. Gene died about a week later from cardiovascular disease.
Officials also confirmed that Hackman was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, which could explain why he never contacted authorities regarding his wife’s condition.
Betsy’s will designated most of her assets to Gene, but it includes a key provision: if they passed away within 90 days of each other, their deaths would be considered simultaneous. In that scenario, her assets would be transferred to charity.
Since New Mexico is a community property state, and assuming there was no prenuptial agreement, Betsy’s estate could hold substantial value. If the simultaneous death clause is enforced, her portion would go to charity.
Gene Hackman (Photo: AP)As for Gene’s estate, despite his children not being named in the will, they would likely inherit his share as his closest living heirs.
Reports indicate that Andrew M. Katzenstein, a well-known California trust and estate attorney, has been hired by Gene’s eldest son, Chris—suggesting that a challenge to the will may be forthcoming.
Hackman had spoken about his strained relationship with his children over the years, acknowledging that he wasn’t present much during Chris’ formative years. However, in recent years, he had grown closer to them.
Julia Peters, a representative for the estates of Hackman and Arakawa, has filed a motion requesting a preliminary injunction to prevent authorities from releasing any photos or video evidence from the death scene—including body cam footage—citing Gene and Betsy’s right to privacy.
Authorities discovered Hackman and Arakawa’s bodies in their home last month. According to officials, they believe the couple had been deceased for over a week before being found.
We have reached out to Hackman’s representatives and family for comments on the will, but so far, there has been no response.