Who Was Bea Arthur's Husband
Bea Arthur was married twice. Her first husband was director Gene Saks, and her second husband was director and producer Matthew Saks, who was previously known as Peter Saks. Gene Saks directed several Broadway and film adaptations of works by playwright Neil Simon, including the original productions of "Barefoot in the Park" and "The Odd Couple" Internet Broadway Database. Matthew Saks, her second husband, worked behind the camera and remained married to Arthur until her death in 2009 The New York Times.
The marriages spanned multiple decades in the entertainment industry. Gene Saks was born in 1921 and died in 2007, while Matthew Saks continued to work in production after Arthur's passing. Both men were primarily known as directors and producers rather than for personal wealth or public financial profiles, and detailed salary figures or net worth data for either husband are not widely reported in public records.
Marriage Timeline and Family Details
Bea Arthur married Gene Saks in 1944, and the couple remained together until his death in 2007. They had two sons, Matthew Saks and Daniel Saks, both of whom pursued careers in the arts. The marriage lasted over 60 years, making it the longer of Arthur's two unions.
After Gene Saks died, Bea Arthur married Matthew Saks in 1999, and the marriage lasted until her death on May 25, 2009. The couple did not have children together, and public records do not indicate significant joint financial accounts or business ventures between them. Arthur's estate planning and inheritance details remain largely private, with no major public filings disclosing specific asset distributions to her husbands.
Financial Legacy and Estate Context
Bea Arthur's net worth at the time of her death was estimated in the range of tens of millions, accumulated through decades of television and stage work, including her roles on "Maude" and "Golden Girls." Her husbands were not primary earners or public figures with independently reported fortunes, and no public SEC filings or Forbes profiles detail significant investment portfolios or business holdings belonging to either Gene or Matthew Saks.
Estate records for public figures like Bea Arthur are typically sealed or limited in what they disclose, and no major public documents have detailed the exact division of assets between her estate and her surviving husband, Matthew Saks. The financial narrative around Arthur's legacy focuses on her career earnings and charitable giving rather than on her husbands' personal finances or business involvements.