Hackman lived a long life, and was happily married to his wife, Betsy Arakawa, for over 30 years. Now, a friend of the actor has revealed new details of his final years, claiming that his age was bothering him.
Actor Gene Hackman and his wife, pianist Betsy Arakawa, were found dead at their Santa Fe, New Mexico home in late February after an individual, who identified himself as a caretaker, called 911. The call was made just before 2 pm, according to law enforcement.
In a statement to People Magazine, Hackman’s daughters, Elizabeth and Leslie, and granddaughter, Annie, said they were “devastated by the loss.”
“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. We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss,” Elizabeth, Leslie, and Annie Hackman shared with People Magazine.
The sheriff’s office announced that carbon monoxide and toxicology tests were required for Hackman and Arakawa.
“There was no obvious sign or indication of foul play,” Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said at the time.
Gene Hackman dead at 95
He added that there had been no sign of a struggle or that any items were missing from the couple’s home. Mendoza also stated that Hackman and Arakawa had been deceased for quite a while.
CNN obtained the audio from the 911 call. As per the affidavit, maintenance workers had found the couple dead. The person who called sounded emotional while talking to the 911 dispatcher. They added that they couldn’t enter the home but saw two unconscious people through the window.
“No, dude, they’re not moving. Just send somebody out here really quick,” the caretaker told the dispatcher.
The circumstances surrounding Hackman and his wife’s deaths were somewhat mysterious at first. Several theories made their way to the newspapers, and the actor’s daughter, Leslie, told the Daily Mail that there was “no indication that there was any problem” with her father before his passing.
“Despite his age, he was in very good physical condition,” Leslie said, adding that her father hadn’t undergone any major surgeries in the last few months. “He liked to do Pilates and yoga, and he was continuing to do that several times a week. So he was in good health.”
Despite this, Leslie and her family admitted that his death wasn’t “terribly shocking” because of his age. She added that she hadn’t seen him in a “few months” as she lived in California. Even though they were close, they hadn’t spoken for quite a while.
“We were close. I hadn’t talked to them for a couple months, but everything was normal and everything was good,” Leslie told the DailyMail.
