Two-time Academy Award winner Gene Hackman, born in San Bernardino, California, lived a life most would call legendary. From his Oscar-winning performances in The French Connection and Unforgiven to a decades-long Hollywood career, Hackman was a towering presence in American cinema. But when news broke that Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found deceased in their Santa Fe, New Mexico, home on February 26, 2025, a more private story began to unfold—one that serves as a cautionary tale about estate planning.
This isn’t about celebrity gossip or Hollywood drama. It’s about the very real consequences that come when even smart, successful people put off updating their estate plans.
A Tragic Twist of Timing
Betsy Arakawa, Hackman’s wife of more than 30 years, is presumed to have passed on February 12, 2025. Gene Hackman followed just six days later, on February 18. Their deaths were discovered days afterward.
Betsy’s will included a survivorship clause: her estate would go to Gene—but only if he survived her by 90 days. Since he didn’t, her estate was directed to pass to a charitable trust.
This simple clause, meant to prevent unnecessary legal entanglements if both spouses died in quick succession, ended up having enormous implications. The timing—mere days apart—meant that none of Betsy’s assets would transfer to Gene’s estate.
The Danger of “Set It and Forget It” Estate Plans
Like many people, Hackman may have assumed that his younger spouse—30 years his junior—would long outlive him. But life, and death, don’t always follow our expectations.
The bigger issue? Hackman hadn’t updated his estate plan in two decades. His last known amendment to his trust was in 2005. His original trust, created in 1995, named Betsy as his successor trustee. His first alternate successor trustee, Santa Fe attorney Michael G. Sutin, passed away in 2019. The second alternate, attorney Julia L. Peters, will now step in.
Had Gene kept his plan up to date, he could have named backups and contingencies better suited to his current wishes and circumstances. Instead, his estate now faces potential delays, confusion, and administrative complications—all of which could have been prevented with periodic updates.
What About the Children?
Hackman had three adult children from a prior marriage. None of them were named in his will.
Under New Mexico law, as in California, failing to mention or provide for children can raise questions: was this an intentional omission, or was the estate plan outdated and incomplete? If litigation follows, it won’t just be a matter of celebrity headlines—it’ll be months (or years) of legal wrangling for his heirs.
Even if Gene truly intended to leave his children out of his estate plan, a simple written statement to that effect could have prevented confusion or conflict. Silence in an estate plan often creates noise in court.
California Takeaways: Don’t Let This Happen to You
Here in California—especially in community property states like ours and New Mexico—coordinating estate plans between spouses is critical. So is reviewing your plan after every major life event: marriage, divorce, death, the birth of a grandchild, retirement, or even just the passage of time.
In California probate court, we often see situations where:
- Both spouses named each other as trustee with no alternate listed.
- Adult children are left out unintentionally.
- Outdated estate plans lead to court battles over ambiguous intentions.
- Survivorship clauses create unintended results when deaths are close in time.
Gene Hackman’s situation illustrates all of these risks.
The Lesson: Legacy Is More Than a Lifetime of Work
Gene Hackman left behind a remarkable body of work. But the legacy we leave behind isn’t just measured in movies or awards—it’s also measured in how well we prepare our loved ones for the future.
An estate plan isn’t a one-time event—it’s a living document that needs to grow and evolve with your life.
If it’s been more than three years since you reviewed your estate plan—or if your life has changed in any way—take this as your sign.
⚖️ Is Your Estate Plan Still Aligned with Your Life?
Talk to your estate planning attorney. Dust off your documents. Make sure your plan still reflects your wishes. In the end, a well-designed estate plan is one of the greatest gifts you can leave behind.
