Earlier this week, Hollywood was shocked with the news of the sudden deaths of legendary actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa. Along with them, their dog was also found dead at their New Mexico residence. Now, new reports have surfaced suggesting that the couple died on February 17 and their body was discovered only recently.
As per a statement by Santa Fe Sheriff Adan Mendoza, “An initial interrogation was conducted of Mr. Hackman’s pacemaker. This revealed that his last event was recorded on February 17, 2025. I think that is a very good assumption, that was his last day of life.” He added that the investigation is still ongoing and they are waiting for further details from the final autopsy and toxicology reports, which may take months to complete.
Sheriff ruled out carbon monoxide poisoning as the cause of their death and also said that there were no apparent signs of foul play.
As per a February 26 affidavit hat described the scene, “another healthy dog near the deceased female, a deceased dog laying 10-15 feet from the deceased female in a closet of the bathroom, the heater being moved, the pill bottle being opened and pills scattered next to the female, the male decedent being located in a separate room of the residence, and no obvious signs of a gas leak.”
Meanwhile, after his death, his daughters Elizabeth and Leslie and granddaughter Annie Hackman said in a joint statement, “He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us he was always just Dad and Grandpa. We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss.”
Gene Hackman’s death marks the end of an era in Hollywood. He had a career spanning five decades. The late actor bagged two Academy Awards – one for Best Actor for The French Connection and the other for Best Supporting Actor for Unforgiven. He debuted in showbiz in 1960 and rose to fame with his impeccable portrayal of Lex Luthor in the Superman series.
Besides the Oscars, he was also the proud recipient of awards such as the Golden Globe, BAFTA and Screen Actors Guild Awards. Throughout his career, Hackman collaborated with some legendary names such as Francis Ford Coppola in The Conversation and Clint Eastwood in Unforgiven. Some of his other noted films include Enemy of the State, The Royal Tenenbaums, Young Frankenstein and Mississippi Burning among others.
See Also: Gene Hackman’s Daughter Reveals His Health Condition Before Death
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