Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa kept a low-profile in recent years.
The couple — who were found dead inside their home on Wednesday, February 26 — were last photographed together in March 2024.
Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 64, had a rare date at Pappadeaux’s Seafood Kitchen in New Mexico, on March 28, 2024, according to a photo obtained by Us Weekly. At the time, Hackman was seen walking with a cane and holding onto his spouse with his left hand.
He wore cargo pants, a plaid shirt and grey vest with a baseball cap and sunglasses on the brim. Arakawa was also casual, wearing jeans, boots and a paisley-printed long-sleeved shirt.
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The pair’s outing came nearly one year before they died in Santa Fe. Us confirmed their deaths on Thursday, February 27, after the actor and his partner were found dead inside their residence following a wellness check.
“On February 26, 2025, at approximately 1:45 p.m., Santa Fe County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to an address on Old Sunset Trail in Hyde Park where Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 64, and a dog were found deceased,” the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement to Us.
Hackman’s daughter Elizabeth told TMZ on Thursday that their family suspected he and Arakawa died from carbon monoxide poisoning. However, the fire department did not find any signs of a carbon monoxide leak or poisoning when they searched the residence, according to an affidavit obtained by the outlet.
Once the sheriff’s department obtained a search warrant, they reportedly called the deaths “suspicious.” A detective explained in the affidavit, “The death of the two deceased individuals to be suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation because the reporting party found the front door of the residence unsecured and opened, deputies observed a healthy dog running loose on the property, another healthy dog near the deceased female, a deceased dog laying 10-15 feet from the deceased female in a closet of the bathroom, the heater being moved, the pill bottle being opened and pills scattered next to the female, the male decedent being located in a separate room of the residence, and no obvious signs of a gas leak.”
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Hackman found love with Arakawa following his divorce from first wife Faye Maltese, who died in 2017. The Replacements actor and Maltese were married from 1956 to 1986 and welcomed three children, Christopher, Elizabeth and Leslie, before calling it quits.
Following his death, Hackman’s daughters and granddaughter Annie issued a statement to Us via his rep. “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy,” the statement read. “He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us he was always just Dad and Grandpa. We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss.”
The Oscar winner met Arakawa when she was working part-time in a California fitness center, according to The New York Times. They lived together for a few years before tying the knot in 1991.
Hackman and the classical pianist lived in Santa Fe for over 30 years before their deaths. Following the actor’s retirement — his last movie was 2004’s Welcome to Mooseport — Hackman and Arakawa opted for nights in rather than being in the spotlight.
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Hackman told Empire in January 2020 that he enjoyed watching “DVDs that my wife rents” during the week, revealing, “We like simple stories that some of the little low-budget films manage to produce.”
He noted that their Friday nights usually featured a Comedy Channel marathon. Hackman added that during his acting break, he remained busy writing.
“It’s very relaxing for me,” Hackman said of becoming an author. “I don’t picture myself as a great writer, but I really enjoy the process.” (Hackman penned five books, which he told the outlet his wife typed up for him.)
