Diseases & conditions

Hackman Dies Week After Wife's Rare Virus Death, Autopsy Reveals

Published MAR 8 2025

Story

Above: Gene Hackman, wife Betsy, Leslie, and Elizabeth at the premiere of his new movie "The Chamber" on Oct. 2, 1996. Image credit: Hulton Archive/Stringer via Getty Images

The Facts

Medical investigators have determined that oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 65, who were found dead in their Santa Fe mansion on Feb. 26, died approximately a week apart from different causes.
The Times (UK)
NBC
Arakawa died around Feb. 11 from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, possibly contracted through rat droppings, while Hackman died around Feb. 18 due to cardiovascular disease with Alzheimer's as a contributing factor.
The Times (UK)
Independent
The Hill
The couple's bodies were discovered in separate rooms of their 9K square foot residence, with Arakawa found in a bathroom near scattered thyroid medication and Hackman in the mudroom with his cane and sunglasses.
Daily Mail
NBC
Hackman was reportedly in an advanced state of Alzheimer's disease and in very poor health, with evidence of previous heart attacks and multiple surgical procedures. He may not have been aware of Arakawa's death.
nytimes
The Times (UK)
One of the couple's three dogs, an Australian kelpie mix named Zinna, was found dead in a bathroom closet near Arakawa, while two other dogs survived by accessing food and water through a dog door.
NBC
Daily Mail
The last known activity of Arakawa was on Feb. 11 when she visited a massage parlor, farmers market, and pet store, while Hackman's pacemaker recorded its final activity on Feb. 18, a week before their bodies were found.
Independent
FOX News
BBC News

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The Spin

Narrative A

Gene Hackman's death alongside his wife and dog unveiled a man whose brilliance on screen — earning him two Oscars across six decades — masked profound personal demons. Nicknamed "Vesuvius" for his explosive temper, Hackman's life was shaped by a violent father who abandoned him at 13 and an alcoholic mother who died in a fire. His turbulent path included petty crime, physical altercations well into his 70s, and financial desperation after his first marriage collapsed — darkness that followed him from Hollywood to his final, mysterious end in Santa Fe.

Unherd

The Mirror

Narrative B

Gene Hackman's brilliance radiated through his extraordinary versatility — morphing from the barbarous cop of "The French Connection" to Superman's wickedly gleeful Lex Luthor with seamless authenticity. Eschewing Hollywood's hunger for likability, Hackman fearlessly embodied darkness in characters like Unforgiven's savage sheriff and The Conversation's desperately isolated Harry Caul. His power lay in raw emotional honesty — whether erupting with violence or whispering "I love you guys" in Hoosiers — each role revealing a man who could turn four simple words into cinematic immortality.