Iconic Actress Gena Rowlands and Husband Robert Forrest Pass Away Within Weeks

In a heartbreaking turn of events, acclaimed actress Gena Rowlands and her husband Robert Forrest both passed away within a matter of weeks in August 2024. Rowlands, who was 93 years old, died on August 14, 2024. Just 15 days later, on August 30, 2024, Forrest, who was 90, also passed away, with his death certificate citing cardiac arrest as the cause.

The couple's tragic demise has left their family grappling with the aftermath. According to court documents, Rowlands had a retirement account that designated Forrest as the sole primary beneficiary of The Gena Rowlands Trust, which was formed in 1989 and amended several times over the years. Rowlands' children have now petitioned the court to appoint an administrator to help transfer the $600,000 in the account to the trust, while minimizing the tax burden.

In the final years of her life, Rowlands had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, a condition she had previously portrayed on screen in the 2004 film The Notebook, which was directed by her son, Nick Cassavetes. Nick has spoken openly about his mother's battle with the debilitating illness, saying that she had been in "full dementia" for the last five years of her life.