Gene Hackman and Wife Betsy 'Laid to Rest' After Private Memorial Service for Family and Close Friends — Including The Actor’s Three Children Who Are Set To Inherit His Entire $80Million Fortune
Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa have been laid to rest at a private ceremony.
April 15 2025, Published 7:45 p.m. ET
Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa have been laid to rest, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The French Connection star's close friends and family – including his three adult children Christopher, Elizabeth and Leslie – gathered for a private memorial service in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where the couple had been living a private life since the actor retired from Hollywood.
Hackman and Arakawa were discovered by maintenance workers at their Santa Fe home on February 26.
As RadarOnline.com reported, the bodies of Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 65, as well as one of their beloved pups, Zinna, were discovered by maintenance workers, who peeked through the windows at the couple's $4million Santa Fe home, on Wednesday, February 26.
The couple was found in separate rooms of their house. Arakawa was discovered in the couple's bathroom with pills scattered around her and Hackman was found on the ground in a mudroom near the kitchen.
Weeks after the perplexing discovery, the couple's cause of deaths were revealed.
Arakawa, an accomplished classical pianist, was said to have died from hantavirus, a flu-like illness related to rodents. She was believed to have died at least a week before Hackman, who suffered from Alzheimer's.
Hackman reportedly died at least a week after Arakawa from heart disease and Alzheimer's.
Hackman's cause of death was said to be a combination of advanced Alzheimer's, high blood pressure, and severe heart disease. His pacemaker last recorded activity on February 18.
At a press conference, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell said due to Hackman's "advanced state of Alzheimer's," it was "quite possible" the actor was unaware his wife passed away.
The couple's dog, which was discovered deceased in a crate, presumably died of starvation and dehydration, according to Santa Fe County animal control.
Hackman's daughter's Elizabeth and Leslie Hackman, plus son Christopher, are now in line to pocket their father's $80million fortune.
At the time of the couple's death, Arakawa was the sole beneficiary of Hackman's $80million estate.
With the pianist's passing, the Academy Award winner's three children could stand to inherit his millions, despite them not being explicitly named in the living trust.
Hackman shared adult children Christopher, 65, Elizabeth, 62, and Leslie, 58, with his ex-wife, Faye Maltese.
The actor initially named Arakawa as the sole beneficiary of his will and trust in 1995. His will was last updated in 2005.
Hackman named Arakawa as the sole beneficiary of his estate in 1995, four years after they tied the knot.
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According to the BBC, attorney Tre Lovell explained Christopher, Elizabeth and Leslie could split their father's estate under succession laws if no other beneficiary was named in the will.
Lovell explained: "The estate will actually be probated in accordance with intestate succession laws and the children would be lawfully next in line to inherit."
The attorney further noted Hackman's children would have to prove their father's will was invalid at the time of his death due to Arakawa passing away before him.
