A longtime friend of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa’s believes the actor would have died “long ago” without his wife by his side.
“She was very protective of him,” Tom Allin told the New York Times in an interview published Saturday.
While sharing the love Arakawa had for the “Bird Cage” star, Allin recalled visiting the couple in 2020 to celebrate Hackman’s 90th birthday.
Allin said the “Royal Tenenbaums” star didn’t appear to be in the best of health, and as a result Arakawa “just really looked after him.”
The actor and his wife were found dead — at 95 and 65, respectively — in their Santa Fe, New Mexico, home on Feb. 26.
“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 Page Six on Feb. 27.
“Foul play is not suspected as a factor in those deaths at this time, however, [the] exact cause of death has not been determined. This is an active and ongoing investigation by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office.”
Hackman’s daughters Elizabeth, Leslie and Annie Hackman confirmed the pair’s deaths, telling Page Six, “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman, and his wife, Betsy.”
“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.”
Chief medical examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell said in a press conference on March 7 that Arakawa died one week before the “Unforgiven” actor. She also said it was unlikely that Hackman knew of his wife’s passing due to his Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
“Mr. Hackman probably died around February 18,” she explained.
“Based on the circumstances, it is reasonable to conclude that Mrs. Hackman died first, likely around February 11.”
“I think he died as a result of his heart disease with the Alzheimer’s being a contributing factor,” Dr. Jarrell continued. “I can tell you that he was in an advanced state of all and it’s quite possible that he was not aware she was deceased.”
Arakawa’s cause of death was officially listed as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a rare infectious disease carried by rodents.
According to the American Lung Association, HPS is a rare but potentially life-threatening viral illness transmitted to humans from the infected urine, droppings or saliva of certain species of rats and mice.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention adds that HPS can also spread through a bite or scratch by these rodents.
The virus begins with flu-like symptoms and progresses rapidly to more severe outcomes including trouble breathing.
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