Revealed: Gene Hackman’s ‘magic’ $3.8m reclusive desert hideaway where Hollywood legend was found dead with wife & dog

GENE Hackman moved to a huge $3.8million home in New Mexico for a quiet life after he stepped away from the bright Hollywood lights. The movie legend, 95, was tragically found dead at his house alongside his wife Betsy Arakawa, 63, and their dog on Wednesday afternoon.

Gene moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, in the 1980s and stayed there ever since. The two-time Oscar winner owned a luxurious $3.8million desert getaway to live a reclusive lifestyle. Hackman was rarely spotted in public after he retired from the screen. His beautiful home, which he shared with his wife Betsy, was reportedly an 8,761-square-foot property surrounded by trees and greenery.

It comes as... It is unclear how many rooms the stunning property had but some reports suggest it could have four bedrooms and four bathrooms, which gave the actor a slice of luxury in the quiet New Mexico desert. He previously opened up about the love he had for his secluded property, in an interview with Architectural Digest from 1990.

Hackman bought a house on a hilltop with 360-degree views that he totally redeveloped. “I think it's like being an actor. I interpret what's already there," he told the magazine. The star said he bought his New Mexico home after he fell in love with the area while working on movies there.

"It had a kind of magic in it," Gene said. Gene lived in Montecito, California, with his ex-wife Faye Maltese, which he explained was very different to his newer property. “I wanted a big room with a great-hall feeling, with other rooms opening off it, not closed off with a lot of walls," he said.

"It's totally different from my other houses. "The Montecito house was very formal.". The actor and his wife were found dead at their mansion on Wednesday afternoon. Cops have said there are no signs of foul play but the alarm was sounded when neighbors called the cops to report concerns over the couple's well-being, per ABC News.

Mystery currently surrounds their shocking deaths as police have not revealed their cause of death but are desperately awaiting a search warrant to scour the property. "All I can say is that we're in the middle of a preliminary death investigation, waiting on approval of a search warrant," Adan Mendoza, the Santa Fe County sheriff said.

Gene Hackman's last public appearance came when he was seen leaving a New Mexico restaurant. Hackman was spotted holding onto Betsy's arm while he used a cane on March 28, 2024, during a rare public appearance. The couple were on a dinner date in Santa Fe, New Mexico, heading into Pappadeaux's restaurant.

The Hollywood legend had celebrated his 94th birthday just weeks before these pictures were taken. Earlier in the day, the couple were also seen visiting a local Speedway store, where Gene bought a cup of coffee and an apple pie. “On February 26 2025 at approximately 1.45pm, 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," a police statement said.

Hackman was last seen publically with Betsy in March 2024 at a restaurant in Santa Fe. The Oscar winner appeared frail as he used a cane and grabbed onto his wife's arm for support when walking. He previously revealed that one of his only fears in life was death.

"I try to take care of myself. I don't have a lot of fears. I have the normal fear of passing away," he told Empire in a 2009 interview. If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123. If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.