Who was Betsy Arakawa, Gene Hackman's wife?
Gene Hackman dead at 95
Gene Hackman, the prolific Oscar-winning actor whose studied portraits ranged from reluctant heroes to conniving villains and made him one of the industry’s most respected and honored performers, has been found dead along with his wife at their home. He was 95.
Gene Hackman, the Oscar-winning actor known for his performances in "The French Connection" and "Unforgiven," was found dead along with his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, and their dog in their Santa Fe home, officials said.
Hackman was 95 and Arakawa was 63.
RELATED: Gene Hackman, wife Betsy Arakawa found dead in Santa Fe home: What we know
How did Hackman and Arakawa die?
What we know:
The Santa Fe County Sheriff's office confirmed the death to FOX News Digital early on Thursday morning.
"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," the statement said.
FILE - Gene Hackman & wife Betsy Arakawa during The 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards - Arrivals at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, United States. (Photo by Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage)
Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza originally told the Santa Fe New Mexican that at the time of the initial report they were conducting a preliminary death investigation.
"All I can say is that we're in the middle of a preliminary death investigation, waiting on approval of a search warrant," the sheriff said Wednesday evening, before his agency had positively identified the pair.
What we don't know:
The sheriff’s office confirmed that foul play is not suspected as a factor in the deaths at this time, but the cause of death has not been determined.
Who was Betsy Arakawa?
The backstory:
Arakawa, born in Hawaii in the 1960s, was a purposely private person who first met Hackman while she was working part-time at a fitness center in the mid-’80s, according to The New York Times.
Arakawa was also a classical pianist, according to The New York Post.
The two moved into a home in Santa Fe in the mid-80s as well, though Hackman told the Florida Sun-Sentinel that he did not abandon his first wife, Faye Maltese, for Arakawa. Maltese and Hackman were married for 30 years and divorced in 1986. Hackman and Arakawa were married in 1991.
According to People, When Hackman retired from acting in the mid-2000s, he became an author, a trade that Arakawa helped him with as he published at least five books, including Wake of the Perdido Star and Payback at Morning Peak.
Arakawa didn’t have any children with Hackman. She was, however, a stepmother to the three children he had through his previous marriage – Christopher, Elizabeth Jean and Leslie Anne.
According to Hackman’s bio with Simon & Schuster, the couple had two German shepherds.
The Source: This report includes information from Fox News Digital, The New York Times, The New York Post, People and Simon & Schuster. FOX's Kelly Hayes contributed.
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