GENE Hackman’s family could soon battle over the star’s $80million Hollywood fortune that he has left behind after tragically dying aged 95.
The will of the Oscar-winning actor, who died seven days after his pianist wife Betsy Arakawa passed away inside their plush $3.8 million home in Santa Fe, has now been revealed.
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He reportedly left his multi-million dollar fortune to his wife – the successor trustee to his trust.
However, it is unclear if the Hollywood star left any of his fortune for his kids Christopher, Elizabeth and Leslie.
Meanwhile, Arakawa’s will states that all her wealth and fortune shall be passed to her “personal representative as trustee” for charity purposes.
The document states: “If my spouse does not survive me, I give the residue of my estate to my personal representative, as trustee, to hold and administer in a charitable trust to achieve purposes beneficial to the community, consistent with the charitable preferences and interests expressed or indicated by my spouse and me during our lifetimes.”
It is also unclear how the couple’s sprawling $3.8 million home in Santa Fe and other assets would be divided.
But it could cause a rift between the children, legal experts have warned.
Gene’s eldest child Chris even hired Andrew M. Katzenstein, a prominent California trust and estate attorney.
A legal expert told DailyMail: “By hiring Katzenstein, it shows that he [Chris] is definitely trying to protect his interests.
“The fact that Chris got a high-powered lawyer indicates to me something is going on. I don’t know why the girls [daughters] are not represented. That tells me that there must be some trouble brewing.”
While a hardworking Gene climbed the ladder of success in the Hollywood industry, cracks soon emerged in the relationship with his children.
Gene and Fay Maltese’s first child, Christopher Allen Hackman, was born in 1960.
He was followed by sister Elizabeth Jean two years later, and baby Leslie Anne arrived in 1966.
The trappings of their new showbiz life had other consequences for the children.
Gene’s hectic schedule meant he was “gone too long” and his relationship with Faye, his children’s mother, came under strain.
He once described his fame as “hanging over their heads”, as Christopher, Elizabeth and Leslie attempted to go about daily life.
Gene and Faye divorced in 1986.
He even admitted that his relationship with his eldest child, son Christopher, suffered to the point where they “lost touch”.
The actor also told GQ in 2011: “I lost touch with my son in terms of advice early on.
“Maybe it had to do with being gone so much, doing location films when he was at an age where he needed support and guidance.
“It was very tough for me to be gone for three months and then come home and start bossing him around.”
Gene married his second wife, pianist Betsy Arakawa in 1991.
The couple set up home together and it was later reported that her presence helped to mend his relationship with his children.
Mystery continues to surround the deaths of Gene and his wife as investigators confirm they are looking into “loopholes”.
Officials revealed the causes of death of the 95-year-old actor and 65-year-old Betsy Arakawa last week, but Sheriff Adan Mendoza says there are still questions to be answered before closing the case.
Arakawa died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which is caused by contact with rodents like rats and mice, New Mexico‘s chief medical examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell said.
She died before Hackman – perhaps on February 11 – leaving the two-time Oscar winner alone at the house.
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Hackman – suffering from the debilitating effects of Alzheimer’s – is believed to have died seven days later on February 18.
He tragically lived alongside his wife’s body, likely not knowing she was dead.
While many questions have now been answered, Sheriff Mendoza said in a press conference that cops are still looking into the case to close “the loopholes.”
“We consider this an open investigation until we close the loopholes of the cell phones, until we finish out the necropsy results of the canine and the other loose ends that we need to tie up,” he said.
Arakawa’s decomposed body was found in the bathroom of their four-bedroom house, surrounded by scattered pills from an open prescription bottle on the counter.
The couple’s dog, Zinna, was also found dead in a crate in the bathroom near Arakawa’s body. Zinna’s cause of death was still pending necropsy results, but officials said on Friday that hantavirus is not a possible reason.
Two other dogs were found distressed but alive at the home.
Meanwhile, Hackman was found collapsed in the home’s mudroom with his sunglasses and a cane nearby.
A search warrant revealed that cops noted the legendary actor looked like he fell to the ground suddenly.
Gene Hackman’s family’s full statement
Gene Hackman’s family has spoken out on the actor’s death after he was found dead with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, in their Santa Fe home.
Hackman’s daughters, Elizabeth and Leslie, and his granddaughter, Annie, released the statement.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy,” Elizabeth, Leslie, and Annie Hackman said.
“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.”
Data pulled from the actor’s pacemaker revealed an abnormal rhythm on February 18, the medical examiner said, which was the last record of heart activity.
His autopsy revealed he had no food in his stomach at the time of his death – but he also didn’t show signs of dehydration, the medical examiner said.
Hackman’s autopsy also showed evidence of poor kidney function and prior heart attacks, as well as chronic high blood pressure.
He tested negative for hantavirus.
Neither autopsy found evidence of internal or external trauma.
Arakawa’s final days
Just hours before her death, Arakawa was busy with her day-to-day chores as she became Hackman’s sole caregiver.
Her last known movements began on February 9 when she picked up Zinna from the vet hospital, which could explain why the dog was later found dead in a crate.
On February 11, the classical pianist emailed her massage therapist in the morning of the day she died.
In the afternoon, she went to a grocery store and was captured making a brief stop at a pharmacy.
Officials said she was seen on surveillance footage wearing a mask, which could indicate that she wasn’t feeling well.
According to a report by the New York Times, Arakawa stopped by a local pet food store later that afternoon. She was not seen or heard after that.
Arakawa had “numerous unopened emails” on her computer from February 11 and no outgoing messages after that date, leading officials to believe she died around then.
She was found collapsed on the bathroom floor before the medical examiner determined she died of hantavirus.
Hantavirus spreads when exposed to rodents’ urine, droppings, and saliva, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Symptoms include fever, chills, cough, headaches, gastrointestinal problems, muscle aches, and fatigue.
What is hantavirus?
GENE Hackman’s wife Betsy Arakawa died from the rare infectious disease called hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hantavirus pathogens are mainly spread between rodents.
In very rare cases, the disease can be passed to humans and cause varied disease syndromes.
These include hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS).
The CDC said: “Each hantavirus serotype has a specific rodent host species and is spread to people via aerosolised virus that is shed in urine, feces, and saliva, and less frequently by a bite from an infected host.”
Dr Sumaiya Shaikh, a Swedish scientist, tweeted: “The #Hantavirus first emerged in the 1950s during the Korean War in Korea (Hantan river).
“It spreads from rats/mice if humans ingest their body fluids.
“Human-human transmission is rare. Please do not panic, unless you plan to eat rats.”
While hantavirus is rare, it carries a 38 per cent death rate according to the CDC.
