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The $80 Million Heartbreak: What Gene Hackman's Three Children Are Doing Now After Being Omitted From His Will

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The family of legendary actor Gene Hackman has been thrust back into the spotlight following the tragic deaths of the two-time Academy Award winner and his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, in early 2025. The news of the couple being found dead in their Santa Fe, New Mexico, home was quickly followed by a shocking revelation: Hackman's reported $80 million estate will, which allegedly omits his three children from his first marriage. This development has sparked a massive legal and public controversy, bringing the lives of Christopher, Elizabeth, and Leslie Hackman—who have largely maintained a reclusive existence—under intense scrutiny. The ensuing legal battle over the estate of the acting icon, who died at age 95 from heart disease with complications from Alzheimer's disease, promises to be one of the biggest celebrity estate disputes in recent memory.

The three grown children—Christopher Allen Hackman, Elizabeth Jean Hackman, and Leslie Anne Hackman—are now navigating the grief of losing their father while reportedly preparing to challenge a will that names Betsy Arakawa as the sole successor. The strained relationship between the celebrated actor and his children has been a quiet, long-running narrative, but the details of the final will have turned a private family matter into a public spectacle. The youngest daughter, Leslie Anne Hackman, has been the only one to speak out so far, breaking her silence on her father's final, reclusive days.

Gene Hackman's Children and Family Biography: The Three He Left Behind

Gene Hackman had a long and acclaimed career, considered a paragon of the New Hollywood movement, but his family life was marked by a preference for privacy and, eventually, estrangement from his first family. All three of his children were born during his first marriage to Faye Maltese, a union that lasted from 1956 until their divorce in 1986.

  • Christopher Allen Hackman
    • Born: 1960
    • Current Age: Approximately 65 (as of late 2025)
    • Mother: Faye Maltese
    • Occupation/Career: Computer programmer, software writer, and budding filmmaker.
    • Current Status: Reportedly "lawyered up" to challenge the validity of his late father's will.
  • Elizabeth Jean Hackman
    • Born: August 1962
    • Current Age: Approximately 62 (as of late 2025)
    • Mother: Faye Maltese
    • Occupation/Career: Her life remains largely private, with few public details available. She did, however, attend several high-profile film screenings with her father in the past, including the premiere of Superman in 1978.
    • Current Status: She is named in the will as a child of the actor but is not a successor to the estate.
  • Leslie Anne Hackman
    • Born: October 1966
    • Current Age: Approximately 58 (as of late 2025)
    • Mother: Faye Maltese
    • Occupation/Career: Maintains a very private life.
    • Current Status: She is the only child who has publicly commented on her father's death, revealing details about his isolation in his final days.

The Shocking $80 Million Will and Estate Controversy

The most immediate and sensational news surrounding the Hackman family in late 2025 is the revelation of Gene Hackman's final testament. The actor, who retired from Hollywood in 2004, had amassed a considerable fortune, estimated to be around $80 million. The will, which was made public following the simultaneous deaths of Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, reportedly appointed Arakawa Hackman as the sole beneficiary and successor to the massive estate.

This decision means that none of his three biological children—Christopher, Elizabeth, or Leslie—are set to inherit any portion of the fortune. The omission, while perhaps not entirely unexpected given reports of the actor being estranged from his children for years, has nevertheless ignited a fierce legal challenge.

Christopher Allen Hackman, the eldest son, is reportedly leading the charge, having retained legal counsel to contest the validity of the will. The legal maneuver will likely focus on several key areas, including whether Gene Hackman was of sound mind when the will was executed, especially given the public confirmation that he was suffering from Alzheimer's disease in his final years. The fact that Betsy Arakawa, who was a classical pianist and Hackman's second wife, was the sole heir before her own death complicates the probate process significantly, turning the matter into a complex, multi-layered estate battle.

The Children's Private Lives and Estrangement from Their Famous Father

Unlike many children of Hollywood royalty, Gene Hackman’s kids have consistently shunned the spotlight, choosing to live quiet, private lives away from the glitz of Tinseltown. This reclusive tendency mirrored their father's own desire for a quiet retirement in Santa Fe, which began after his last film, Welcome to Mooseport, in 2004.

Christopher Allen Hackman's career as a computer programmer and budding filmmaker shows a professional path that, while creative, is distinctly separate from his father's decades-long career as a leading man. Elizabeth Jean Hackman has remained the most elusive of the three, with almost no public information available about her adult life or profession.

The estrangement from their father is a key point in understanding the current will controversy. Reports suggest the distance between the actor and his first family grew, particularly after his divorce from Faye Maltese and subsequent marriage to Betsy Arakawa in 1991. The children reportedly lived in another state, further cementing the geographical and emotional distance from their father’s New Mexico home.

Leslie Anne Hackman's recent comments to the media are the only glimpse into the family's dynamic in Hackman's final years, describing a man who was "slowing down and reclusive." The fact that the children were not named as successors, despite being identified as his children in the document, underscores the deep and lasting rift within the family unit. The world watches now as the Hackman estate, a final, tangible piece of the celebrated actor's legacy, becomes the center of a very public and painful family feud.

gene hackmans children
gene hackmans children

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