Gene Hackman, wife and dog are found dead at home

[Chuchoter]

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.

there is going to be trouble over his will,
he left his money to his wife and
"Arakawa’s own will listed Hackman as the sole beneficiary, and stipulated that if the two were to die within 90 days of each other, then her assets were to be placed in a trust and given to charity after settling medical expenses, the Mail reported."

if true of course

No that’s not correct. It’s her assets that are to be given to charity. His will stipulated that everything of his was to be left to her, but as she’s died before him the rules of intestacy apply to his will and his children will likely benefit.

what did i write wrong?
yes, i guess if they can be sure she died first, what a tangle

I thought they were pretty sure she died first?

He left nothing to his three children but they still may be getting the estate as @Never2many says:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c7985ld2lrro

Yeah I think the children will receive the estate as she died first. It really makes you realise you can't be TOO isolated.

Just awful how after having all their medical information plastered over the news we now have all their finances and wills etc reported on.
Why doesn't confidentiality apply once dead?!

Isn't it on the principle that it needs to be possible for beneficiaries to find out that they are named?

and more Gene Hackman estate goes to court to prevent release of autopsy pictures | Film | The Guardian

I can see why releasing the autopsy report is necessary (transparency is important) but the pictures? Awful.

I really don't think pictures should be released 😮

Watching French Connection now to remind myself what a great actor he was.

Watched Crimson Tide last night, such a good movie 🎬 and Hackman is brilliant.

I just can’t get the dog out of my head, locked in a crate after surgery, no food, water, nowhere to toilet.
Why the hell with all that money they didn’t have home help, cleaner, anything is utterly beyond me.

They didn't want them. They were reclusive.

And Betty was perfectly fit, from the sounds of it. This was a very rare disease.

I know while of course Hackman may well have been distressed, for a dog post op in pain locked away starving to death is just absolutely awful.

If anything comes out of this I hope it’s that it’s a bad idea to not have regular outside connection as a couple if 1 person is very/fully dependant on the other- be it speaking to a family member every few days, having a housekeeper regularly or the ‘well’ person maybe actually having a ‘fall down’ kind of ‘alert’ pendant themselves. It may not have saved her but could well have saved him and the dog.

I have more sympathy for the person with advanced dementia - whilst it seems GH was aware enough to keep hydrated, we have no idea how hungry or poorly or confused he felt.

Clearly he wasn’t close to his kids so the Hackmans were never going to keep in contact with them.

She wasn't Mrs Hackman AFAIK. Her surname was Arakawa.

Update re Arakawa's date of death:
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/mar/20/santa-fe-clinic-says-gene-hackman-wife-betsy-arakawa-called-day-after-police-say-she-died

@SheilaFentiman how odd. This tragic case gets weirder and weirder...

there is an issue with Who died first for the will isnt there?

I don’t think there’s much doubt that she died first. The article says it wasn’t 11th as she made some calls on the morning of the 12th, but GH’s pacemaker was active until 18th so there is still a big gap.

ETA it is a bit odd that no one from the clinic piped up earlier to tell the police/coroner that she had called them around that time!

Yes, weird that the clinic didn’t tell the police about the conversation much sooner. It’s not like they were Mr and Mrs Bloggs whose deaths were unreported.

The doctor also seems cynical about the virus being fatal in people in Ms Arakawa’s circumstances.