Gene Hackman Seemed to Have Had a Strained Relationship With His Kids — They Weren't In His Will

Actor Gene Hackman is survived by his three children, Christopher, Leslie, and Elizabeth, whom he shared with his first wife, Faye Maltese. However, his relationship with them came into question after a shocking revelation — his kids were not included in his will, according to documents obtained by TMZ.

The Hollywood icon and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found deceased in their Santa Fe, N.M., home at the end of February 2025, sparking serious concern. It was later revealed that Betsy died of hantavirus, and Gene passed about 10 days later from cardiovascular disease, though he had also been struggling with Alzheimer's, the media outlet noted.

While the circumstances of their deaths were already tragic, the news of Gene’s will raised even more questions. So, was he close to his kids?

Gene Hackman leaving his kids completely out of his will suggests there may have been some strain in their relationship. According to TMZ, Gene named Betsy his sole beneficiary in 1995, and neither Christopher, Leslie, nor Elizabeth were mentioned in the will. That’s pretty surprising, regardless of the fact that it was written decades ago.

However, in a statement to People after his death, daughters Elizabeth and Leslie didn’t hint at any tension, saying, "It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman, and his wife, Betsy." They added, "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."

Of course, it’s unlikely that family strain would be addressed in a public statement about their father’s passing. If anything, it seems Gene and his children weren’t extremely close before he died at 95.

Adding to this idea, Leslie reportedly claimed before his passing that her father was "in good health" and said "he liked to do Pilates and yoga, and he was continuing to do that several times a week," per DailyMail.

However, the few photos of Gene in recent years told a different story — he looked pretty frail, which, to be fair, isn’t shocking at 95. On top of that, he was reportedly dealing with heart disease and high blood pressure, suggesting he wasn’t exactly in good health. This only adds to the notion that there may have been a communication gap, at least between Gene and Leslie, before his death.

Perhaps some of the distance stemmed from Gene’s demanding career. In a 2011 interview with GQ, per OK! Magazine, he reflected on how his work may have affected his family life: "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. I wasn't able to handle that."

Gene Hackman had a net worth of $80 million at the time of his death, according to Celebrity Net Worth, so he had a pretty sizable fortune to leave behind. While he originally left everything to Betsy, her will reportedly stated that if they died within 90 days of each other, their deaths would be considered "simultaneous" and all assets would go to charity, per TMZ.

However, since Gene technically passed away second, Betsy wouldn’t have been able to inherit his estate. In this case, his kids would presumably be the next in line to receive his fortune.