Gene Hackman’s wife ‘protective’ of star before tragic deaths

Oscar winner Gene Hackman once made a revealing comment to a long-time friend about his wife, as investigators continue to look into “loopholes” surrounding the pair’s deaths.

Oscar winner Gene Hackman believed his wife Betsy Arakawa, who was apparently his sole caregiver, was the reason he lived as long as he did, one of the actor’s longtime friends has revealed.

“She was very protective of him,” Tom Allin, who shared a 20-year friendship with Hackman, told The New York Times of Arakawa.

Mr Allin said Hackman once told him that he would have died “long ago” without Arakawa taking care of him and making sure he ate a healthy diet.

“She just really looked after him,” he said of the concert pianist, remembering how Ms Arakawa mixed soda water into Hackman’s wine at the actor’s 90th birthday party in January 2020.

Betsy Arakawa, who cared for husband Gene Hackman, tragically died a week before his death. Picture: Getty Images

Maintenance workers discovered the bodies of Hackman and his wife at the couple’s Santa Fe, New Mexico home on February 26 after they were unable to get in touch with the couple.

New Mexico medical investigators revealed in a press conference that the 95-year-old Oscar winner died from a heart condition seven days after Ms Arakawa died from the rare hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which is caused by contact with rodents.

Based on data recorded from his pacemaker, Hackman, — suffering from the debilitating effects of Alzheimer’s — likely died on February 18, a week after his wife’s death from hantavirus, a flu-like illness spread mainly by rodent faeces that attacks the lungs.

Sheriff Adan Mendoza said questions still had to be answered before closing the case.

“We consider this an open investigation until we close the loopholes of the cell phones, until we finish out the necropsy results of the canine and the other loose ends that we need to tie up,” he said.

Gene Hackman spent a week alone after his wife’s death. Picture: WireImage

One of the couple’s dogs, Zinna, was also found dead at the property in a crate in a cupboard in the bathroom “10 to 15 feet” away from Ms Arakawa’s body.

Their other two dogs, Bear and Nikita, were found alive but distressed at the property, police said.

Zinna had undergone a procedure at a local veterinary hospital “which may explain why the dog was in a crate,” the Sheriff said, as they wait to hear of its cause of death.

Investigators are awaiting mobile phone records from the couple’s phones though it is “very unlikely” they will bring anything to light that authorities do not already know, the Sheriff said.

TRAGIC FINAL HOURS OF HACKMAN’S WIFE

Just hours before her death, Betsy Arakawa was busy with her day-to-day chores as Hackman’s sole caregiver, The Sun reports.

She sent emails and ran errands in her final hours before she tragically died from the rare rat virus.

Hantavirus symptoms present as a chest cold, meaning it is often misdiagnosed, Dr Jeffrey Klausner, an infectious disease expert and professor at the University of South California, told TMZ.

Dr Klausner said hantavirus was akin to severe pneumonia and, like any other severe virus, the percentage of survival is much greater if it’s diagnosed immediately and the person is hospitalised.

Ms Arakawa was tragically found dead in the house’s bathroom with scattered pills from an open prescription bottle on the counter.

Gene Hackman with fellow Oscar winner Marisa Tomei in 1993 after his win for Unforgiven. Picture: AFP

Santa Fe County Sheriff deputies arrive at the gated community where actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa passed away. Picture: AP

While there was no rodent activity in the pair’s main house, rodent droppings were discovered in the couple’s garage and outhouses, the Daily Mail reported.

According to experts, Ms Arakawa could have picked up the deadly disease when she was cleaning those specific areas of the property where the rodents had been.

Hantavirus hits so fast that Ms Arakawa tragically may not have realised that her life was in danger, an expert said.

Symptoms of hantavirus infection include fever, muscle aches and coughing, which can lead to shortness of breath and heart or lung failure.

Hantavirus is not transferable between humans, and Hackman had not contracted the illness.

Gene Hackman with Thomas Jane and Monica Belluci at the Cannes film festival. Picture: AFP=

He tragically lived alongside his wife’s body, likely not knowing she was dead.

He was found in the kitchen with no food in his stomach, but he showed no signs of dehydration.

Adan Mendoza outlined Ms Arakawa’s final movements, saying that on February 9, she picked up the dog that was later found dead from the vets after a procedure.

On February 11, Ms Arakawa went shopping in a farmer’s market, pharmacy and a pet food store.

She returned to their gated community and all of her emails were left unread after that date.

Dr Heather Jarrell, New Mexico’s chief medical examiner said: “Mr Hackman showed evidence of advanced Alzheimer’s disease.

“He was in a very poor state of health. He had significant heart disease, and I think ultimately that’s what resulted in his death.”

She added: “There is no reliable method to determine time or date of death, but it is probably likely Mr Hackman died around February 18.

Gene Hackman with and daughter Leslie Hackman at the premiere of the 1991 film Class Action. Picture: Getty Images

“And based on circumstances, it is reasonable to conclude Ms Hackman died first, with February 11 the last time she was known to be alive.”

The bodies of Hackman and his wife were found in different rooms.

The Oscar winner was discovered fully clothed in a wet room off the kitchen with his cane laid out next to him, according to a search warrant.

Ms Arakawa was found on the bathroom floor, near a space heater, and her body was said to have been partially “mummified”.

An early theory was that carbon monoxide poisoning had killed the couple and their dog, but that was ruled out by negative chemical tests.

Hackman had three children with his first wife, Faye Maltese — Christopher, 65, Elizabeth, 63, and Leslie, 58.

He married Ms Arakawa, a classical pianist, in 1991.

Originally published as Gene Hackman’s wife ‘protective’ of star before tragic deaths