Gene Hackman’s mysterious spiral into recluse life with wife and last frail outing

Once one of Hollywood’s leading men, Gene Hackman’s final years were a far cry from the red carpet premieres of his youth.

The Oscar winner, who has died at the age of 95, preferred a quiet life with his second wife, the classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, following his retirement from the silver screen in 2004. Tragically, the couple were found dead yesterday (Wednesday, February 26), along with their beloved pet dog, at their home on Sunset Trail, New Mexico.

An active investigation is now underway, but Santa Fe County police has confirmed that they do not believe that foul play was a factor at this time. Gene and Betsy, 63, reportedly fell in love after crossing paths at an LA gym in the ’80s, where Betsy had been working part-time.

They went on to tie the knot in 1991, with Betsy becoming stepmother to Gene’s three children, Christopher Allen, Leslie Anne and Elizabeth Jean, born during his first marriage to Faye Maltese. Although California-born Gene preferred to keep the details of his marriage private, he did previously speak up for Betsy amid rumours that their relationship had led to his divorce.

Speaking with the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Gene clarified: “By the way, I did not leave my real-life wife for a younger woman. We just drifted apart. We lost sight of each other. When you work in this business, marriage takes a great deal of work and love.”

In 2020, Gene also offered a sweet insight into their low-key weekend rituals, telling Empire magazine: “We like simple stories that some of the little low-budget films manage to produce. Friday night is set aside for a Comedy Channel marathon with particular attention paid to Eddie Izzard. The speed of thought is amazing.”

The pair eschewed the spotlight, preferring to spend time with each other and their pets rather than attend glitzy A-list bashes. In this regard, Santa Fe proved to be the perfect place for the famous couple to set up home together. As Gene told the Irish Independent in 2000: “Where we live, in Sante Fe, you can lead your own life and not be bothered by the latest gossip.”

In Springtime last year, Gene and Betsy were seen out and about together, with Gene appearing frail as they headed out for a bite to eat at Pappadeaux’s in Santa Fe, New Mexico. This marked the first time the couple had been photographed together since the 2003 Globe Awards. An insider told Closer at the time: “They have retreated to a happy life together.”

Another source revealed: “His health is good, he still bicycles, does yard work and he’s a great handyman. After all the drama of Hackman’s career, he loves the peaceful life he shares with the lovely Betsy.”

Gene, who had battled with his health over the years, retired due to health-related reasons following a stern warning from his doctor. Speaking with Empire in 2009, Gene shared: “The straw that broke the camel’s back was actually a stress test that I took in New York. The doctor advised me that my heart wasn’t in the kind of shape that I should be putting it under any stress.”

In a previous chat with CNN’s Larry King, Gene opened up about undergoing an angioplasty – a procedure whereby where a patient’s blocked coronary arteries are opened to improve blood flow. Gene divulged: “I did, 12, 14 years ago, I had severe angina. So they did angioplasty. I try to take care of myself. I don’t have a lot of fears. I have the normal fear of passing away.

“You know, I guess we all think about that, especially when you get to be a certain age. I want to make sure that my wife and my family are taken care of. Other than that, I don’t have a lot of fears.”

After leaving the world of movies behind, Gene went on to enjoy a second career as a novelist. The multitalented writer penned five novels in total, four of which were published after his retirement from acting: Wake of the Perdido Star (1999), Justice for None (2004), Escape from Andersonville (2008), Payback at Morning Peak (2011), and Pursuit (2013).

Revealing what he loved about this “more private” career in a 2020 interview with Empire, Gene explained: “I like the loneliness of it, actually. It’s similar in some ways to acting, but it’s more private, and I feel like I have more control over what I’m trying to say and do. There’s always a compromise in acting and in film; you work with so many people, and everyone has an opinion. … I don’t know that I like it better than acting, it’s just different. I find it relaxing and comforting.”

The animal loving couple also found happiness through adopting pets, and previously owned three dogs. In 1999, while filming The Replacements in Baltimore alongside Keanu Reeves, Gene adopted their third dog after two stray dogs wandered onto the set. After initially taking them to an animal shelter, which christened the hounds Gene and Keanu, Betsy and Gene decided to take Gene home with them.

In a Facebook post marking Gene’s birthday, the grateful animal rescue shelter wrote: “Happy 94th birthday to our most famous adopter Gene Hackman !! While filming The Replacements in Baltimore in 1999, two stray dogs wandered onto the movie set. Both dogs were transported to us via limousine and the Hackmans came up the following week and adopted one of them.#adoptdontshop”.

Read live updates on Gene Hackman and his wife’s tragic double death on the Mirror’s live blog HERE

In an interview given to local media regarding the deaths of Gene and Betsy, Sheriff Adan Mendoza said they did not suspect foul play and have yet to provide a cause of death or confirm when the couple had died. He said: “All I can say is that we’re in the middle of a preliminary death investigation, waiting on approval of a search warrant. I want to assure the community and neighbourhood that there’s no immediate danger to anyone.”

An additional statement from the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office said: “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. Foul play is not suspected as a factor in those deaths at this time, however, exact cause of death has not been determined. This is an active and ongoing investigation by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office.”

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Source: Mirror