The late Hollywood legend Gene Hackman’s estate is at the center of a legal dilemma after it was revealed that his three children were not named in his $80 million (£62 million) will.
Hackman, who passed away at 95, had left his entire fortune to his wife of 30 years, Betsy Arakawa. However, the situation took a dramatic turn when authorities confirmed that Arakawa, 65, had died a week before her husband in their New Mexico home.
According to legal experts, the timeline of Arakawa’s death means that Hackman’s children—Christopher, 65, Elizabeth, 62, and Leslie, 58—could still inherit under intestate succession laws, despite being excluded from the will.
Attorney Tre Lovell explained that unless another beneficiary was named, Hackman’s estate would likely default to his children. However, he noted that they would need to prove the will’s invalidity due to the order of deaths.
Arakawa reportedly succumbed to a rare virus on February 11, while Hackman, who suffered from severe heart disease and advanced Alzheimer’s, died naturally a week later. Their bodies were discovered in separate rooms of their Santa Fe mansion on February 26 after a neighborhood security check.
Arakawa’s own will stated that if she and Hackman passed within 90 days of each other, her assets would be placed into a trust and later donated to charity after covering medical expenses.
Hackman, renowned for his roles in The French Connection and Unforgiven, had openly discussed the struggles of balancing career and fatherhood. While his children have not commented on the inheritance dispute, they have expressed their deep loss, remembering him as a beloved father and grandfather.
With legal questions looming, the fate of Hackman’s fortune remains uncertain, setting the stage for a potential courtroom battle.
