The latest on Gene Hackman
Ads to help pay the bills.THE DEATH…
Gene Hackman’s youngest daughter has spoken out about her father’s health in the months leading up to his death.
Leslie Anne Hackman, 58, revealed on Thursday that she “hadn’t talked” to the Oscar-winner and her stepmother, Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa, in a “couple of months” before their passings, but said the “Unforgiven” star was “in very good physical condition” up until the end.
As of February 28, 2025, the investigation into the deaths of legendary actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, continues to unfold in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The couple, along with one of their three dogs, was discovered deceased in their home on Wednesday, February 26, by a maintenance worker conducting a welfare check prompted by a concerned neighbor.Hackman, 95, was found in the mud room near the kitchen, with a cane and sunglasses nearby, suggesting a possible sudden fall, while Arakawa, 64, was located in a bathroom next to a fallen space heater, with an open prescription bottle and scattered pills on the counter. The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office has deemed the circumstances “suspicious enough” to warrant a thorough investigation, though initial autopsies on Thursday revealed no external trauma, and no immediate signs of foul play, carbon monoxide leaks, or natural gas issues have been identified.
Further details have emerged from the ongoing probe, painting a picture of a scene undisturbed yet perplexing. The couple’s German shepherd was found dead in a bathroom closet, while two other dogs—one inside and one outside—were alive and well, able to move freely via a pet door. Sheriff Adan Mendoza noted that Hackman and Arakawa appeared to have been dead for “quite a while,” with Arakawa’s body showing signs of mummification in her hands and feet, indicating they may have been undiscovered for days or weeks. Maintenance workers reported losing contact with the couple for two weeks prior, and while the front door was found open with no signs of forced entry or theft, the exact timeline of their deaths remains unclear pending official autopsy and toxicology reports, expected to take four to six weeks.
The family of Gene Hackman has expressed profound grief amid the uncertainty surrounding the deaths. In a statement released on Thursday, his daughters, Elizabeth and Leslie, and granddaughter, Annie, mourned the loss of “Dad and Grandpa,” describing Hackman as a beloved figure both to millions of fans for his iconic roles in films like The French Connection and Unforgiven, and to them as a personal anchor. Theories abound—Hackman’s daughter Elizabeth suggested carbon monoxide poisoning to TMZ, though no evidence currently supports this—while authorities maintain an open investigation, leaving room for speculation but no definitive answers. Hackman’s legacy as a two-time Oscar winner endures, now tinged with the mystery of his and Arakawa’s final days in their quiet Santa Fe retreat.
NOTE: Be sure to sign up for my FREE newsletter, the 47 Report, to receive up-to-date information about the Trump administration you won’t find anywhere else until it’s old news.