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Surprising Detail, Twist In Gene Hackman's Will Revealed
www.iheart.com ^ | March 14, 2025 | Jason Hall

Posted on 03/14/2025 9:29:21 AM PDT by Red Badger

Surprising Detail, Twist In Gene Hackman's Will Revealed By Jason Hall

March 14, 2025

Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa Portrait Photo: Getty Images Legendary actor Gene Hackman's children were reportedly left out of his will, TMZ reports.

Hackman, 95, made his wife, Betsy Arakawa, the sole beneficiary of his fortune in 1995, leaving out his son Christopher and daughters Leslie and Elizabeth. Arakawa, 65, who is suspected to have died one week before her husband, had also reportedly listed Hackman as the sole beneficiary in her own will and documents allegedly show that her savings would be donated to charity if both died within 90 days of each other.

Awakawa's estate could still go to charity as New Mexico is a community property state while Hackman's estate could presumably go to his children, despite not being included in his will, as they are the most direct living heirs. Hackman's son, Christopher, the oldest of his three adult children, reportedly hired prominent California trust and estate attorney Andrew M. Katzenstein to challenge the will, according to TMZ.

Hackman was reported to have died of hypertensive cardiovascular disease with Alzheimer's as a factor, while Arakawa was reported to have died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, New Mexico State Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell confirmed. Betsy is suspected to have died first as all outgoing communication from her cellphone and email ceased on February 11, the last day she was spotted publicly, while Gene is suspected to have died on February 18, as it was the last day his pacemaker registered data, though Dr. Gerald specified that there was no reliable scientific method to determine an exact time for either death.

The couple's dog, Zinna, was found dead inside a locked crate by first responders, while two others were reported to have wandered the property for days and guided first responders to the legendary actor. Officials reiterated that foul play was not suspected in Hackman and Arakawa's deaths and the scene was tested for carbon monoxide, with only a minute leak found that was deemed to be insignificant.

Hackman, a two-time Academy Award winner, and his wife were married for 34 years. Police reportedly found the couple at around 1:45 p.m. local time on February 26. Hackman's legendary acting career spanned more than 60 years, providing an everyman believability to numerous iconic roles, including playing Jimmy Doyle in The French Connection (1971) and Little Bill Daggett in Unforgiven (1992), which won him the Academy Awards for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, respectively.

The California native was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor for roles in Bonnie & Clyde (1968) and I Never Sang for My Father (1971), as well as Best Actor for Mississippi Burning (1989). Hackman is also remembered for playing arch villain Lex Luthor in Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980), as well as Coach Norman Dale in Hoosiers (1986) and Royal Tenenbaum in The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) among numerous other iconic roles.


TOPICS: Arts/Photography; Music/Entertainment; Society; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: arakawa; betsyarakawa; genehackman; hackman; newmexico; santafesummit
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1 posted on 03/14/2025 9:29:21 AM PDT by Red Badger
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To: Red Badger

Well, now we know why the kids didn’t check on dear old dad.


2 posted on 03/14/2025 9:32:34 AM PDT by Valpal1 (Not even the police are safe from the police!!!)
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To: Red Badger
He was great in Unforgiven mocking English Bob as the "Duck of Death".
3 posted on 03/14/2025 9:32:41 AM PDT by Dr. Franklin ("A republic, if you can keep it." )
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To: Red Badger

They died alone, and it was a week before discovery.

Doesn’t look like the children cared.


4 posted on 03/14/2025 9:32:50 AM PDT by SauronOfMordor (Either you will rule. Or you will be ruled. There is no other choice.)
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To: SauronOfMordor

Now we know why...................


5 posted on 03/14/2025 9:33:43 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: Red Badger
Awakawa's ...savings would be donated to charity if both died within 90 days of each other. Awakawa's estate could still go to charity as New Mexico is a community property state.

Now that's an interesting term in the will. Were they afraid of foul play? I'm surprised that the same term was not in both their wills. I'm sure Hackman's three kids harbored grudges about Dad dumping Mom and marrying wife #2 who was 30 years younger than himself.

Hackman's estate could presumably go to his children, despite not being included in his will, as they are the most direct living heirs

Wow, that's surprising.

Hackman's son, Christopher, the oldest of his three adult children, reportedly hired prominent California trust and estate attorney Andrew M. Katzenstein to challenge the will

There's no way that legal challenge could be completed in that short amount of time.

6 posted on 03/14/2025 9:35:00 AM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom (Democrats who say ‘no one is above the law’ won’t mind going to prison for the money they stole)
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To: Red Badger
They more likely than not gave someone POA...No matter...it's their business....and while it will become a Public Record, i'd just let the family go through this without our input.

IOW....Rest In Peace.

7 posted on 03/14/2025 9:35:10 AM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: Red Badger

Maybe the offspring were estranged from him for other reasons. It happens. Or maybe they are already financially secured because he helped them well before he passed away. It seems odd the offspring didn’t stay in close touch. When my dad was declining and in his 90’s I flew to see him for a week almost every month for 18 months. We had professional people with him 24/7, and my sister was just blocks away. She got a break when I was visiting.


8 posted on 03/14/2025 9:36:18 AM PDT by SaxxonWoods (The road is a dangerous place man, you can die out anhere...or worse. -Johnny Paycheck )
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To: Red Badger

his kids get his money


9 posted on 03/14/2025 9:37:33 AM PDT by calljack (Stealing the 2020 Election will go down in history as the worst political miscalculation of all time)
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To: Dr. Franklin

I guess Clint Eastwood will have to see him in hell :)

He didn’t deserve this. He was building a house!


10 posted on 03/14/2025 9:37:48 AM PDT by dp0622 (Tried a coup, a fake tax story, tramp slander, Russia nonsense, impeachment and a virus. They lost.)
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To: SaxxonWoods

We need a divorce law for use within families. Any estranged person should be allowed to disavow any family member.

We might already have it in some form in some states but it’s not putting a stop to all the challenges. People are territorial vultures.


11 posted on 03/14/2025 9:40:49 AM PDT by DIRTYSECRET
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To: SaxxonWoods

Adult children often get an insect up their posterior when they ruminate upon how their childhood wasn’t perfect.


12 posted on 03/14/2025 9:41:34 AM PDT by AbolishCSEU (Amount of "child" support paid is inversely proportionate to mother's actual parenting of children)
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To: Red Badger

Nothing weirds people out more than when someone passes away and who gets what.

I’ve seen it many times.

Any idea what the estate is worth?


13 posted on 03/14/2025 9:42:11 AM PDT by V_TWIN (America...so great even the people that hate it refuse to leave!)
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To: Red Badger
I bet the wife turned Hackman against his kids.


14 posted on 03/14/2025 9:42:22 AM PDT by DeplorablePaul
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To: Valpal1

And apparently the wife was too tight to hire a caregiver for her husband.


15 posted on 03/14/2025 9:42:44 AM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (It is long past time to dump the entire Treasury drawer and throw away the crap.)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom
Wow, that's surprising.

Not surprising at all: that's part of the common law for centuries, and why you are usually asked to specify what happens to your estate if your primary beneficiary goes before you do.

I guess given the age difference, neither Hackman nor his wife thought he would go before she did.

16 posted on 03/14/2025 9:44:52 AM PDT by pierrem15 ("Massacrez-les, car le seigneur connait les siens" )
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

No, it didn’t say the will had gone through probate, just that his son had hired a lawyer.


17 posted on 03/14/2025 9:45:06 AM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (It is long past time to dump the entire Treasury drawer and throw away the crap.)
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To: pierrem15

she would go before he did.


18 posted on 03/14/2025 9:45:17 AM PDT by pierrem15 ("Massacrez-les, car le seigneur connait les siens" )
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To: Red Badger

Not that surprising.


19 posted on 03/14/2025 9:47:53 AM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: SauronOfMordor

He kept them at arms length all their lives


20 posted on 03/14/2025 9:48:02 AM PDT by SMARTY (In politics, stupidity is not a handicap. Napoleon Bonaparte I)
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