Confusion reigns as Hollywood star died same time as wife of 34 years. The world has been rocked by the death of Gene Hackman, whose body was found with his 63-year-old wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa. Hackman, a two-time Oscar winner who starred in films including The French Connection, Unforgiven and The Royal Tenenbaums, was 95.
![[Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa had been married since 1991]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/02/27/10/Gene_Hackman_85882.jpg)
At this stage, all that is known is that the couple’s bodies were found in their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, alongside their pet dog. They had been married since 1991. No foul play is suspected but a cause of death is yet to be determined, with police set to hold a press conference when further details are known.
According to the Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza, the couple died around midnight on Thursday (27 February). Since retiring from acting in 2004, Hackman had been open about his health struggles, revealing in 2009 that his doctor wanted him to quit Hollywood due to the stress on his heart.
The actor previously told CNN interviewer Larry King that he had angioplasty surgery to heal his angina in the 1990s. Angioplasty is a medical proecdure that restores blood flow to the heart muscle after the coronary arteries become blocked. “I try to take care of myself,” he said at the time. “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.”. Hackman had three children – Christopher, Elizabeth and Leslie – with his first wife, Faye Maltese. The pair were married from 1956 to 1986. Maltese died in 2017.
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