Following the recent deaths of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa, questions have arisen about his estate. Although the couple had no children together, he was the father of two daughters and a son from his previous marriage.
Betsy Arakawa and Gene Hackman attend the Thalians Ball honoring Liza Minnelli at the Century Plaza Hotel in California on October 8, 1994 | Source: Getty Images
The circumstances surrounding the duo’s passing added to the tragedy. On February 26, 2025, Gene, Arakawa, and one of their dogs were found lifeless in their Santa Fe Summit home. The scene left the 911 caller shaken.
Officials later confirmed the cause of their passing. Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Heather Jarrell, reported that Arakawa died from Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, a disease primarily spread by rodents. Her autopsy classified the death as natural, with estimates placing it around February 11.
Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa attend the Toyota Pro-Celebrity Race in Long Beach, California, on April 4, 1987 | Source: Getty Images
In the weeks before their deaths, Arakawa appeared to be her husband’s primary caregiver, according to Dr. Michael Baden. He noted, “It looks like she was really taking good care of him.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Jarrell, who conducted the veteran actor’s autopsy, found that he had “severe heart disease, including multiple surgical procedures involving the heart, evidence of prior heart attacks, and severe changes of the kidneys due to chronic high blood pressure.”
Betsy Arakawa and Gene Hackman during Celebrity Sports Invitational on November 29, 1991, in Rancho Mirage, California. | Source: Getty Images
Her examination also revealed “advanced Alzheimer’s disease” along with damage to blood vessels in the brain, linked to chronic high blood pressure.
In addition, Gene’s pacemaker recorded an “abnormal rhythm of atrial fibrillation” on February 18, leading Dr. Jarrell to conclude that he likely died on that date, about a week after Arakawa.
His final days remain somewhat of a mystery. When asked if the actor had any communication before his passing, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza stated there was no evidence indicating whether he used any form of technology to reach out to others.
Speculation about Gene’s final days continued as his daughters, Elizabeth and Leslie Hackman, were seen in public just a day after learning of his passing.
