[x68000]

The will of legendary actor Gene Hackman has been released, but uncertainty lingers over his $80m (£62m) fortune.

The two-time Academy Award winner left his entire estate to his wife of 30 years, Betsy Arakawa.

But Arakawa, 65, was found dead alongside her husband in their New Mexico home last month.

Legal experts have now said that, because authorities say Arakawa died seven days before her husband, Hackman's children could now potentially inherit his fortune, despite not being named in the will.

His three children with his late ex-wife, Faye Maltese - Christopher, 65, Elizabeth, 62, and Leslie, 58 - have not commented publicly on the matter.

Legal documents obtained by the BBC show Hackman, 95, named Arakawa as his sole beneficiary in 1995, with the last update to the will in 2005.

However, California attorney Tre Lovell told the BBC that the estate could default to them under succession laws, as long as there was no other beneficiary named.

"The estate will actually be probated in accordance with intestate succession laws and the children would be lawfully next in line to inherit," he said.

They would also need to prove that the will is invalid because Arakawa died before Hackman, he added.

Arakawa's own will left her assets to Hackman, with a provision that if they died within 90 days of each other, her estate would go to a trust and later be donated to charity after covering medical expenses.

Hackman has in the past discussed his relationship with his children.

"You become very selfish as an actor," he told The New York Times in 1989. "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's children, though rarely in the public eye, occasionally attended red carpet events with him.

In another interview, Hackman talked about the difficulty his children had of growing up with a parent who was constantly in the spotlight.

"It's tough being the son or daughter of a celebrity," he told The Irish Independent in 2000. "I couldn't always be home with them when they were growing up, and then, living in California, they've had my success always hanging over their heads."

His daughters and granddaughter expressed deep affection for him after his passing.

"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," they said. "We will miss him sorely, and are devastated by the loss."

[x68000]

Betsy Arakawa, the wife of actor Gene Hackman, searched the internet for information about flu and Covid symptoms and breathing techniques in the days before she died, police records have revealed.

Arakawa asked Google questions including whether Covid could cause dizziness or nosebleeds, according to files released by the Santa Fe Sheriff and reported by the Associated Press, external and New York Times, external.

The 65-year-old pianist died of hantavirus, which can cause flu-like symptoms and develop into a life-threatening lung condition.

Authorities believe she died around 12 February, and her husband, 95, who had Alzheimer's disease, died on 18 February. Their bodies were found on 26 February.

The Sheriff files include details of the police investigation along with photos of the couple's cluttered house in New Mexico, and bodycam footage.

They show that on 10 February, Arakawa searched online for "can Covid cause dizziness?" and "Flu and nosebleeds".

The following day, she emailed her massage therapist to cancel an appointment, saying her husband had woken up with "flu/cold-like symptoms" but had tested negative for Covid.

She also ordered oxygen canisters from Amazon for "respiratory support".

Police have previously said Arakawa made multiple calls to a health clinic on 12 February for medical treatment, which she never received.

She was found to have contracted hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare respiratory illness carried by rodents. Nests and some dead rodents were found in outbuildings of the couple's house.

Authorities believe Hackman died on 18 February - the date of his last recorded pacemaker activity, which showed an abnormal rhythm of atrial fibrillation.

His cause of death was severe heart disease, with advanced Alzheimer's disease listed as a contributing factor. Experts believe the Oscar-winning actor's Alzheimer's may have prevented him from realising his wife of more than 30 years was dead in the home where he was living.

Their bodies were discovered more than a week later by neighbourhood security.

One of the couple's three dogs, which had been in a crate while recovering from surgery, died from starvation and dehydration.

The couple's children had tried to block the release of the latest sheriff's records by Santa Fe County, but news organisations challenged that under New Mexico's freedom of information laws.

"The New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA) placed the County in a difficult position," said County manager Gregory S Shaffer.

"On the one hand, we deeply understand the family's need for privacy during this painful time.

"On the other, the County has a duty to follow the law and faced potential lawsuits, damages, and attorney's fees under IPRA if we withheld the records."

[kellyhound]

Inspectors had found rodent feces in three garages, two casitas, and three sheds, while the property's three detached garages were found to contain one live rodent, a dead rodent, and a rodent nest.

Signs of a rodent infestation were also found inside two vehicles on the property.

Hackman's daughters, Elizabeth and Leslie, had told authorities during a March 5 interview that their father and his wife were "very private" and "did not allow maids or cleaners into their home."


that's why you tidy your home the fuck up or fungus/bugs and rodents appear.

[tallnbearish]

I thought surely the unblurred version of the bodycam video would be on DR!

[Caf002]

I’ve read that the house had mice as there was extensive evidence of mice excrement and urine! Icky!

[Satori]

Fucking old people.

[Eat Shit And Die]

Originally Posted by Satori ↗

Fucking old people.

Keep your sexual fantasies to yourself Satori

[crice63]

They're are ways of being too private in your lives and this is what results

[Cryptkeeper]

The surviving dog had to eat something for 11 days, he probably had gene hackman kibbles and bits. Must have been pretty grizzly.

[kellyhound]

Originally Posted by Cryptkeeper ↗

The surviving dog had to eat something for 11 days, he probably had gene hackman kibbles and bits. Must have been pretty grizzly.

No nibbles i think when they had access to less dead food.

The two surviving dogs, Bear (a German Shepherd) and Nikita (an Akita-shepherd mix), were found alive and healthy despite the couple and Zinna likely being deceased for several days to a week.

The key factor in their survival was access to a doggy door, which allowed them to move freely in and out of the house.

The doggy door provided Bear and Nikita with the ability to access food and water outside the home, which was critical to their survival during the period when Hackman and Arakawa were no longer able to care for them.

Reports indicate that the dogs were able to roam the property, and it’s believed they had access to resources that sustained them, such as water sources or possibly food left outside.

One dog was found near Arakawa’s body inside the house, while the other was outside, suggesting they were utilizing the freedom of movement provided by the doggy door.