The police have issued a statement following the death of legendary actor Gene Hackman. Hackman died at the age of 95, along with his wife Betsy Arakawa, 64. The Hollywood star died in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he lived with his wife, Betsy. Local police gave an interview just after midnight to confirm the details of the couple's death. The police were called to an address on Old Sunset Trail in Hyde Park at 1:45p.m on Wednesday, according to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office.
Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza stated that both Hackman and Arakawa had passed away, along with their dog. Mendoza added that there was no foul play, but gave no further details about the time or cause of death. A statement from the Santa Fe County Sheriff's office read: "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.". Read updates on the tragic death of Gene Hackman and wife Besty Arakwa in the Mirror's live blog HERE.
While the cause of death is yet to be determined the Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza added: "All I can say is that we're in the middle of a preliminary death investigation, waiting on approval of a search warrant," according to The Sun. "I want to assure the community and neighbourhood that there's no immediate danger to anyone," Mendoza added according to GB News.
Hackman has been spotted looking frail during his recent outings, and was last seen in March 2024 along with his wife. The actor and his wife Arakawa popped out for a bite to eat in Pappadeaux's, and were seen exiting the restaurant in Santa Fe. While Arakawa was much more dressed up for the meal out, Hackman looked more casual in cargo trousers, a plaid shirt and a gilet. The star also leaned on a cane for the short walk, and grabbed onto his wife’s arm as they headed down a short set of steps.
Besides his rare trips out in Santa Fe, the last time Hackman was seen in front of the camera for an acting role was in the 2004 comedy Welcome To Mooseport. He filmed alongside Ray Romano and Christine Baranski for the flick, and said at the time that he had no other films scheduled and no plans to line any work up.
His retirement was confirmed in 2008 during the promotion of his third novel Escape From Andersonville. It brought an end to his career which spanned over six decades, beginning in 1956 when he joined the Pasadena Playhouse and befriended Dustin Hoffman. It wasn't until 1963 that he started landing small roles on TV and almost ten years later when he made a name for himself after his Oscar-nominated performance in I Never Sang For My Father.
Gene is a legend in the film industry with over 100 credits to his name, including huge hits such as Enemy of the State, Crimson Tide, No Way Out and The French Connection. Over his long career he received won two Academy Awards, two BAFTAs, four Golden Globes, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
