Gene Hackman’s Friend Says Actor Would’ve Died ‘Long Ago’ Without Wife

Friends who knew Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa are speaking out in the wake of the couple’s shocking deaths.

In a lengthy look into the mysterious passing of the actor, 95, and his wife, published on Saturday, March 8, the New York Times spoke to Tom Allin, a longtime friend of the pair.

“She was very protective of him,” Allin said of Arakawa, 65, and the love she had for Hackman, before telling the outlet that he believes Hackman would have died “long ago” without his wife at his side.

Allin also shared a story from visiting with the couple in 2020 to celebrate Hackman’s 90th birthday. He said that it was clear the actor wasn’t in the best of health, and as a result his wife “just really looked after him.”

Hackman and Arakawa were found dead in their Santa Fe, New Mexico, home on February 26.

“On February 26, 2025, at approximately 1:45 p.m., Santa Fe County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to an address on Old Sunset Trail in Hyde Park where Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 64, and a dog were found deceased,” the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office said in a February 27 statement to Us Weekly. “Foul play is not suspected as a factor in those deaths at this time, however, [the] exact cause of death has not been determined. This is an active and ongoing investigation by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office.”

Hackman’s family confirmed the pair’s deaths in a statement to Us.

“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman, and his wife, Betsy,” Elizabeth, Leslie and Annie Hackman said. “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.”

On Friday, March 7, chief medical examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell said in a press conference that Arakawa died one week before Hackman, though it was unlikely the actor was aware of her death due to his Alzheimer’s diagnosis. “Mr. Hackman probably died around February 18,” she explained. “Based on the circumstances, it is reasonable to conclude that Mrs. Hackman died first, likely around February 11.”

Arakawa’s cause of death was officially listed as Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), a rare infectious disease carried by rodents that begins with flu-like symptoms and progresses rapidly to more severe outcomes including trouble breathing, while Hackman died due to hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease with Alzheimer’s disease as a significant contributing factor.

“I think he died as a result of his heart disease with the Alzheimer’s being a contributing factor,” Dr. Jarrell said. She also added, “I can tell you that he was in an advanced state of all and it’s quite possible that he was not aware she was deceased.”