Who was Gene Hackman’s wife Betsy Arakawa, found dead with the Oscar-winning actor and one of their dogs? The pair had a 32-year age gap and lived a secluded life in their New Mexico property
Despite the reclusive Hollywood actor and his wife living away from the spotlight in New Mexico, the pair have sweetly supported each other for years – here’s what you need to know about Betsy Arakawa
In news that has shocked Hollywood, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza confirmed that actor Gene Hackman, his wife Betsy Arakawa and their dog were all found dead in their New Mexico home on Wednesday.
Mendoza added that the cause of death had not been determined, though there was no evidence of foul play.
Hackman, who rose to fame in 1971’s The French Connection and later starred in hits like Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven (1992) and Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), had been something of a recluse since 2004, the year he retired from acting. He and Arakawa were last photographed in public in Albuquerque in March 2024, and while Hackman looked unrecognisable in his frailty, he was reportedly in good spirits on the outing.
So what do we know about Betsy Arakawa and her relationship with the Oscar winner?
They had a 32-year age gap
At the time of their death, Hackman was 95 years old and Arakawa was just 63. But despite the 32-year age difference that made some sceptical of their relationship at first, the couple had been happily married for 33 years.
Hackman decided to clear up any rumours about why he and his first wife, Faye Maltese, divorced in 1986, in an interview with the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “I did not leave my real-life wife for a younger woman,” he told the outlet. “We just drifted apart. We lost sight of each other. When you work in this business, marriage takes a great deal of work and love.”
Betsy Arakawa was a classical pianist
Born in Hawaii, Arakawa was a classically trained pianist, according to People magazine. However, she was working part time at her local gym in California when she first met Hackman there in the mid-1980s. The pair wed in 1991.