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Rachel Hollis opens up about overseeing Dave Hollis’ will: ‘Unbelievably intense’

Rachel Hollis talked about what the last few months have been like since her ex-husband's death as she and her children move to California.

Rachel Hollis says that being the executor of her late ex-husband’s will has made the last four months of her life “the most unbelievably intense.”

In a recent episode of “The Rachel Hollis Podcast,” the author and motivational speaker reflected on the impact of her ex-husband Dave Hollis’s death. Rachel Hollis opened up about the level of intensity that has come with being the executor of his will and the trustee of his estate

Rachel and Dave Hollis had four children together before they divorced in 2020. This past February, Dave Hollis passed away unexpectedly at the age of 47 due to “toxic effects of cocaine, ethanol, and fentanyl,” according to the autopsy report from the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office in Austin, Texas.

In the aftermath of his death, Rachel Hollis has only rarely opened up about processing her grief alongside their children. Touching on the topic of her loss with listeners during her May 24 podcast, she revealed that she chose to move her children back to Los Angeles so that they could be surrounded by both her and David Hollis’ families and have more of a community.

“We’ve added this massive changeup of closing down one piece of this thing and making the decision to move. It’s a lot of things,” she admitted of shouldering more responsibilities in her life due to his passing. In addition to her work, her children’s daily routines, and many other things, Rachel Hollis says she is now handling Dave Hollis' estate.

“I don’t even have words for how intense it is to try and help process someone’s estate stuff,” the author shared. “I never thought about this in my life. Like, what happens when someone passes away? And, like, someone has to pay the bills, someone has to — what do you do with their physical stuff?”

The podcaster went on to heavily advise listeners to make sure they have all their ducks in a row and updated when it comes to determining what will happen to their belongings and dependent family after death.

“After my kids’ dad passed away, I have even more of a plan because leaving someone to manage it all is unbelievable... You don’t even think about all the stuff,” she explained. Rachel Hollis added that the amount of work that has gone into sorting out her late ex-husband’s will and estate has required her to rely on the additional help of three others, including her boyfriend.

Rachel Hollis said that the issue of proper and strategic planning has become so important to her that she’s even gone to her parents to ensure they have heavily prepared for the future.

“I was joking with them but like not joking. Like, ‘do not do this to us girls,’” she explained of her plea on her and her two older sisters’ behalves. “Do not when you pass away — just leave it all for us to figure out.’”

“Nobody wants to think about it, but it’s real,” she added. “And to ignore the fact that something might happen and you might not be here, I think, is so dangerous.”

The self-help author further revealed that she worked extensively with a lawyer to ensure that “if something happens,” her kids will be looked after by somebody. According to Rachel Hollis, her lawyer advised her to pick “four layers” of backups to her children’s potential guardians in case of her death.

“I’m like, if something has happened to four layers of adults, it’s the apocalypse,” she quipped. “The kids get to raise themselves.”