Burt Reynolds’ Will Says Niece Will Manage His Estate

Burt Reynolds’ will excludes his only son, Quinton Reynolds, and names his niece Nancy Lee Brown Hess the trustee for his estate.

According to TMZ, Quinton, 30, was left out of the will because Reynolds created a trust for him several years ago and the money from that trust goes to his son. The move is usually done to avoid estate taxes, and it appears that all of the Smokey and the Bandit star’s assets were put in the trust.

TMZ describes the will as a “hollow document” because it says all assets not already in the trust will be directed to it.

Reynolds likely did not name Quinton the trustee to avoid a conflict of interest, since he is the beneficiary of the trust.

Reynolds died of a heart attack on Sept. 6 in Jupiter, Florida. He was 86 years old. According to his death certificate, Reynolds’ remains were cremated.

The Hollywood icon was known for his long list of hit films from the 1970s and early 1980s, including Deliverance, Smokey and the Bandit, The Cannonball Run, Stroker Ace, Best Friends, City Heat, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and Hooper. He was nominated for an Oscar for Boogie Nights, which also won him a Golden Globe. The actor was cast in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, but died before he could film his scenes.

“My uncle was not just a movie icon; he was a generous, passionate and sensitive man who was dedicated to his family, friends, fans and acting students,” Hess said in a statement after Reynolds’ death. “He has had health issues, however, this was totally unexpected. He was tough. Anyone who breaks their tailbone on a river and finishes the movie is tough. And that’s who he was. My uncle was looking forward to working with Quentin Tarantino [in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood] and the amazing cast that was assembled.”

Reynolds was married to Judy Crane from 1963 to 1965 and Loni Anderson from 1988 to 1994. Anderson and Reynolds adopted Quinton.

Days after his death, Reynolds co-star Sally Field, whom Reynolds has called the real love of his life, began promoting her memoir. She recently told the New York Times she was thankful he never got a chance to read it.

“This would hurt him,” Field said. “I felt glad that he wasn’t going to read it, he wasn’t going to be asked about it, and he wasn’t going to have to defend himself or lash out, which he probably would have. I did not want to hurt him any further.”

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