Shocking Twist In The Death Of Gene Hackman Following Discovery Of His Will

A contractor discovered Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, dead inside their New Mexico home on February 26. Sadly, an autopsy revealed that Besty died from Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare disease contracted through rodent droppings or saliva, around February 11. Gene apparently died around February 18 from heart problems. Following the tragic discovery, Gene’s daughters, Elizabeth Hackman and Leslie Hackman, and granddaughter, Annie Hackman, shared a statement with People. “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman, and his wife, Betsy. He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us, he was always just Dad and Grandpa. We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss.”

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TMZ reports Gene Hackman did not leave anything in his will to his daughters, instead his entire fortune went to Betsy.

According to TMZ, Besty also left her assets to Gene. However, her will included a provision that if they pair died within 90 days of each other, it would be considered a simultaneous death and her assets would go to charity.

Gene’s estate will likely go to his children because they are his closest living heirs. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Gene’s estate held an $80 million fortune before his death.

TMZ reported Gene’s son, Chris, hired Andrew M. Katzenstein, a prominent real estate attorney in California, to challenge the will.

This story’s featured image is by Dave Azoulay via Shutterstock.