Family members of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were reportedly concerned about the couple’s wellbeing ahead of their recent deaths.
“Betsy hadn’t called her mother in months. She usually called every one or two months,” Arakawa’s mother’s longtime housekeeper Keiko told the Daily Mail in an interview published on Friday, February 28. “Last time she called was October. We were thinking, what happened?’”
Arakawa’s mom, Yoshie Feaster, is 91 years old and lives in Hawaii. Arakawa frequently checked in on her parent, who suffers from dementia, via monthly phone calls.
According to Keiko, Feaster has since learned that her daughter and Hackman died.
“She talked to a New Mexico policeman the other day. But she has dementia so she forgot already. I feel so sorry for her,” Keiko told the outlet. “She was very upset. But right now she’s kind of normal.”
News broke on Thursday, February 27, that Hackman and Arakawa were both found dead one day earlier inside their Santa Fe, New Mexico house. They were 95 and 64, respectively.
“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,” Hackman’s daughters and granddaughter told Us Weekly in a statement. “We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss.”
Hackman and Arakawa, who had been married since 1991, are survived by the Oscar winner’s children — Christopher, Elizabeth and Leslie — from his first marriage to late ex-wife Faye Maltese, and their granddaughter, Anna.
New details surrounding Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa’s deaths have come to light via a 911 call. According to audio obtained by Us Weekly on Thursday, February 27, an unidentified male caretaker of the area was heard frantically pleading with a dispatcher to send someone to the couple’s home. “No, they’re not moving,” he […]
An official cause of death has yet to be determined and an investigation is ongoing. According to the local sheriff’s department, “foul play” is not suspected but the circumstances surrounding the couple’s demise are “suspicious” enough to require a thorough investigation. It has also been debunked that the couple died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
In a Friday press conference, sheriff Adan Mendoza revealed that Hackman had likely been dead for more than a week before his and Arakawa’s bodies were found.
“Both individuals tested negative for carbon monoxide, [and] an initial interrogation was conducted of Mr. Hackman’s pacemaker,” Mendoza claimed. “This revealed that his last event was recorded on February 17, 2025. I was advised that a more thorough investigation will be completed. According to the pathologist, I think that is a very good assumption that was his last day of life.”
Mendoza further noted that there is still an open and “active investigation” surrounding Hackman and Arakawa’s deaths. One of the couple’s dogs had also been found dead, while two additional canines were found alive and taken into custody at a local shelter.
