The world was shocked when the two-time Oscar-winning star Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 65, were found dead in their Santa Fe, New Mexico mansion on February 26. By the time they were discovered, they had each been deceased for quite some time, and their remains were mummified.
Afterwards, it was revealed that Hackman left his three children from a previous marriage out of his will. Indeed, this cut them out of his $80 million fortune. Now, it appears that Hackman’s children have exacted their revenge on him by burying their father in an unmarked grave.
Hackman’s Burial
Hackman has reportedly been laid to rest alongside Arakawa in New Mexico. The Mirror has confirmed that there is no marker over his grave.
Hackman’s burial came after a small ceremony that was organized by his three children: Christopher, 65, Elizabeth, 62, and Leslie, 58. Each of them were specifically left out of his will. However, California lawyer Tre Lovell is now saying that they could end up receiving the estate by default.
“The estate will actually be probated in accordance with intestate succession laws and the children would be lawfully next in line to inherit,” Lovell explained.
Hackman’s History With His Children
Hackman had his three children with his first wife Faye Maltese, who he was married to from 1956 until they divorced in 1986. She died in 2017 at the age of 88.
Hackman had previously been open about the toll that his acting career took on his family.
“You become very selfish as an actor,” he said in a 1989 interview. “Even though I had a family, I took jobs that would separate us for three or four months at a time. The temptations in that, the money and recognition, it was too much for the poor boy in me.”
Hackman left behind an $80 million fortune. His will, which he made in 1995, listed Arakawa as his sole inheritor.
Meanwhile, her will stated that if she and Hackman were to die within 90 days of one another, their $80 million fortune should be donated to charity. It remains to be seen if Hackman’s children will wage a legal battle in the hopes of getting their hands on the money.
Hackman And Arakawa’s Deaths
Hackman and Arakawa were found dead on February 26. Officials believe that Arakawa passed away sometime on February 12, which is when she made her final phone call. She died from hantavirus, a rare flu-like virus transmitted through rodent droppings. Officials later discovered that Hackman and Arakawa’s mansion was infested with rats, making it a “breeding ground” for hantavirus.
It’s believed that Hackman survived until February 18, which is when his pacemaker last showed signs of activity. Hackman’s official cause of death was heart failure He was also suffering from advanced Alzheimer’s disease, meaning he may not have been aware that his wife had died in their home. Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell confirmed that it was “quite possible” that Hackman didn’t know that Arakawa had died.
Hackman retired from acting in 2004 after the release of Welcome to Mooseport. He spent the last twenty years of his life living in reclusion with Arakawa. She was his caretaker in the final years of his life as he privately struggled with Alzheimer’s.
Hackman’s three children have yet to comment publicly on his death. Given his unmarked grave, it’s unlikely that they ever will at this point. Only time will tell if Hackman’s children are able to get their hands on his fortune.
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