Who Will Be Handed Gene Hackman’s Estate Uncertain as Wills of Actor and Wife Are Revealed

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After Gene and Betsy Hackman, a couple residing in Santa Fe, New Mexico, passed away within the past few weeks, questions have arisen concerning the distribution of the actor’s substantial estate. It has been disclosed that his living will, made public on Friday, did not include provisions for his three adult children, instead naming his wife as the sole beneficiary. Unfortunately, she had already passed away in their mansion at least a week prior to Gene’s demise.

On March 7th, it was announced that I learned about the passing of Gene, a two-time Academy Award winner, around February 17th. This legendary figure in Hollywood was 95 and succumbed to severe cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer’s being a major contributing factor. Despite his health issues, he managed to live on for a week after his wife passed away in their living room due to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare and serious lung condition.

Betsy served as the second spouse to the beloved actor, and they remained childless throughout their 30-year union. However, he had three children – Christopher Allen (age 65), Leslie Anne (age 58), and Elizabeth Jean (age 62) – from his previous marriage to Faye Maltese. In interviews, he often mentioned a strained relationship with his kids due to his frequent absences during their early years, spent primarily on film sets. At the time of his passing, it appeared that he had a strong bond with Leslie Anne. She shared that they had spoken relatively recently but not in his last few weeks.

Last Friday, TMZ announced that Gene’s will designated all assets to Betsy, excluding his three children, with Betsy also named as the sole executor of the will. This arrangement appears to have been established through a trust agreement dated September 22, 1995. The will was drafted in June 2005 and submitted to Santa Fe County court on March 6, according to People’s reporting.

According to TMZ’s report, Betsy’s will primarily bequeaths most of her wealth to Gene. However, if they were to pass away within 90 days of each other, their deaths would be considered simultaneous. In such a scenario, Betsy’s will specifies that all her assets should go to charity instead.

On Friday, a reliable source revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that Gene Hackman has set up a trust, and his last will and testament will essentially pass all his possessions to this trust. A trust is a legal agreement where someone assigns their assets to a trustee, who then manages these assets for the benefit of one or more recipients.

Since Gene’s trust details aren’t publicly available, it remains uncertain who will inherit the alleged $80 million from his estate upon his passing. However, it appears that his grown-up children might be optimistic about potentially receiving a share of the substantial wealth.

In a September 1995 arrangement, Gene designated Betsy as the successor of a trust known as the GeBe Revocable Trust, according to People. After the attorney assigned as the executor in the event of Betsy’s death in 2019 passed away, Julia Peters was appointed as Gene’s second successor to manage his estate; Peters serves as chief counsel at the Santa Fe investment firm Avalon Trust.

After the actor’s passing, papers were submitted in court alongside Gene’s will, naming Christopher, Elizabeth, and Leslie as his heirs, according to People. Simultaneously, Peters was recognized by the court as the unofficial administrator of Gene’s estate from then on.

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2025-03-15 02:54