Gene Hackman’s three children could claim estate despite being left out of his $80 million will

Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman, who recently passed away in February at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, had not named his three children as his successors in his $80 million will.

A report by Entertainment Weekly suggests, however, that there might be a possibility that his three children could reasonably claim their share of the inheritance from their late father.

As per the report, Hackman had named his wife Betsy Arakawa as the sole successor of his estate and the Gene Hackman Living Trust. According to the will, obtained by USA Today, Hackman’s wife Arakawa will be the sole representative of his trust and as a result, remain the only successor and beneficiary of his estate. Hackman’s will mentions these terms in clear detail given the situation that his wife outlives him.

What we know about Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa’s death

On February 26, the Santa Fe authorities had found the dead bodies of the couple at their home. At the time, it was suspected by the authorities that the couple had passed away much earlier than when their bodies were discovered at Hackman and Arakawa’s Santa Fe residence.

In the investigation that followed thereafter, it was found out that Arakawa had passed away at least a week before her husband died.

The authorities determined that a rare respiratory disease was the cause of Arakawa’s death. Hackman, who needed around-the-clock care for his well-being passed away a week later. He had been suffering from a heart-related illness, and he also suffered from Alzheimer’s, which is a disease that impairs the patient’s memory and day-to-day functioning.

A statement released by the medical representative administering Hackman and Arakawa’s death revealed that although heart malfunction was the reason behind Hackman’s death, Alzheimer’s disease also could have contributed significantly. Given the situation that Arakawa, who was Hackman’s sole caregiver, had passed away, an Alzheimer’s-stricken Hackman may have found it difficult to perform his daily tasks and take care of himself.

Data from Hackman’s pacemaker revealed that the actor’s heart had stopped functioning on February 17, just a week after his wife’s death.

There is a possibility that Gene Hackman’s children could inherit his estate

The will, signed by Gene Hackman, mentions that his former attorney Michael G. Sutin would become the successor and the representative of his trust after Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa, passes away. However, Sutin unfortunately passed away in 2019.

According to the will, following the death of Sutin, the responsibility of representing Hackman’s trust would pass on to the attorney Julia L. Peters.

In the context of the investigations which reveal that Arakawa passed away before Hackman, Hackman’s children might be able to inherit their father’s estate. Hackman’s will had identified his three children from his previous marriage with Faye Maltese as his heirs, and there is a reasonable chance that they can claim their inheritance from their late father as his most direct living heirs. According to the report by Entertainment Weekly, Peters, who at the moment is the sole representative of Gene Hackman’s Trust, has filed court documents naming Hackman’s three children as his heirs. These court documents were filed by Peters earlier this month.

In the saga of Gene Hackman and his wife’s tragic deaths, which have stunned Hollywood and Hackman’s fans globally, it remains to be seen whether Hackman’s children will inherit their late father’s estate.