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Original poster

Gene Hackman, wife and dog are found dead at home

429 replies

Chuchoter · 27/02/2025 08:23

Legendary Hollywood star Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa have been found dead in their Santa Fe home.
The couple, who had been married since 1991, were found alongside their dog. Local media has reported that no foul play is suspected.
Hackman had just turned 95 in late January. He was known for being a reclusive person, having not starred in a movie since 2004, when he played Monroe 'Eagle' Cole in the political satire Welcome to Mooseport.
Born in California on January 30 1930, the actor had enlisted in the army after lying about his age at 16, serving for four-and-a-half years.
After moving back to California following his military service, he decided to pursue acting after briefly living in New York.
RIP

Superb actor.

OP posts:
Nevertrustacop · 07/03/2025 22:36

What a shame. It seems he wandered about the house for nearly a week before he died.

LikeWhoUsesTypewritersAnyway · 07/03/2025 22:41

Both died of natural causes.........? Confused

ThisIsMyYearToFindMyself · 07/03/2025 22:45

Is dying of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome caused by rats ‘natural causes’? Isn’t it ‘dying of hantavirus’? That’s confused me.

Or do they mean ‘natural’ as in they weren’t killed by a person?

littleluncheon · 07/03/2025 23:00

LikeWhoUsesTypewritersAnyway · 07/03/2025 22:41

Both died of natural causes.........? Confused

Yes, Betsy died from sudden illness (hantavirus), Gene died a few days later from cardiovascular disease/alzheimers.

littleluncheon · 07/03/2025 23:04

ThisIsMyYearToFindMyself · 07/03/2025 22:45

Is dying of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome caused by rats ‘natural causes’? Isn’t it ‘dying of hantavirus’? That’s confused me.

Or do they mean ‘natural’ as in they weren’t killed by a person?

Edited

Natural causes are things like illness, heart attacks or old age, unnatural are external causes like murder, accidents or suicides - someone did something to cause the death.

cait967 · 07/03/2025 23:08

its so incredibly sad. I’m guessing she didn’t go for help/ call for help as she was concerned about him. I dread to think how confused and upset he was. Horrible situation

Lentilweaver · 07/03/2025 23:09

Good god, what a terrible way to go. RIP.

TheresaBackinbud · 07/03/2025 23:15

And the poor dog. She had collected it from the vet.

Izzy393 · 07/03/2025 23:15

She went to a pharmacy so maybe she thought she had flu or Covid and at home felt awful and went to get the pills in the bathroom but collapsed… :-( So sad to think of him there on his own. Still don’t understand why their children were not in closer contact as he was 95!!

Lentilweaver · 07/03/2025 23:16

I wish they had got live in help. But they seem to have loved their privacy.

westisbest1982 · 07/03/2025 23:18

I like to think that because of his advanced Alzheimer’s, he was unaware she died.

No friends visited, no family either. It’s so sad.

MrsSkylerWhite · 07/03/2025 23:20

So sad.

VeryconfusedNana · 07/03/2025 23:22

What a very sad situation.

tobee · 07/03/2025 23:56

Pure speculation from me here but I wonder whether he relied on her to give him heart medication etc as he had advanced Alzheimer's and that directly or indirectly led to his death not long after.

My df has mildish dementia and my dm has to supervise his medication because he took his dose twice and can now no longer be trusted. ☹️

Iamallowedtodisagreewithyou · 08/03/2025 00:00

tobee · 07/03/2025 23:56

Pure speculation from me here but I wonder whether he relied on her to give him heart medication etc as he had advanced Alzheimer's and that directly or indirectly led to his death not long after.

My df has mildish dementia and my dm has to supervise his medication because he took his dose twice and can now no longer be trusted. ☹️

It would have been something like that yes.

The issue here is that no-one was expecting her to die first.

Firefly1987 · 08/03/2025 00:14

How absolutely bloody tragic. Have always heard of hanta virus but don't think it's something we have to worry about in the UK (I hope?) but what awful bad luck for her to catch that. And for him to not be well enough to know/do anything to help or even alert anyone to her death. God doesn't bear thinking about.

CalicoPusscat · 08/03/2025 00:16

So it looks like she didn't know she had it? Pretty awful ending for both of them

tobee · 08/03/2025 00:16

It's probably not uncommon with soul carers but upsetting to think of. And people assume that famous/wealthy people are protected from this and would have servants etc which is probably far from the truth.

tobee · 08/03/2025 00:18

To clarify I don't mean hanta virus is not uncommon.

littleluncheon · 08/03/2025 00:21

tobee · 07/03/2025 23:56

Pure speculation from me here but I wonder whether he relied on her to give him heart medication etc as he had advanced Alzheimer's and that directly or indirectly led to his death not long after.

My df has mildish dementia and my dm has to supervise his medication because he took his dose twice and can now no longer be trusted. ☹️

Medication but also just the basics of food, water, sleep.

Firefly1987 · 08/03/2025 00:27

I'm quite surprised they didn't have any help going in regularly considering he had Alzheimers. That is a HUGE responsibility for his wife alone-not even taking into account the possibility she could get seriously ill herself.

Iamallowedtodisagreewithyou · 08/03/2025 00:32

I guess his wife was his carer too, but you'd think they'd have cleaners or something. Maybe they just liked being together on their own.

SheilaFentiman · 08/03/2025 02:04

Iamallowedtodisagreewithyou · 08/03/2025 00:32

I guess his wife was his carer too, but you'd think they'd have cleaners or something. Maybe they just liked being together on their own.

Yes, they were very reclusive, according to various articles

HelenWheels · 08/03/2025 05:31

that is very sad, and who called for a welfare check?
his children must have left all the caring to her

Choux · 08/03/2025 07:35

HelenWheels · 08/03/2025 05:31

that is very sad, and who called for a welfare check?
his children must have left all the caring to her

I don't think it's fair to blame the children (might not have been your intention but it sounds a little like it). If two married people decide to cut themselves off from everyone and the wife / step mum wants to do all the caring without any outside help then the kids don't get to have a say in how he is looked after.

Access to their dad would only have been if the step mom allowed it as he was in her home. If the relationship between Betsy and the kids wasn't good for whatever reason then they wouldn't get access to him.