On Friday, it was confirmed that Betsy died a week before Gene, and it was "quite possible that he was not aware” of her death or able to care for himself as a result of advanced Alzheimer’s.
Last month, the sad news broke that beloved actor Gene Hackman, his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, and one of their pet dogs had been found dead in their Santa Fe home. Gene was 95 years old, and Betsy was 65. The two had been married since 1991.
At the time, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said that authorities did not believe “foul play was a factor” in the deaths, and initially, it was widely speculated that the couple may have died due to carbon monoxide poisoning. However, it was later confirmed that Santa Fe City Fire Department had not found any evidence of a leak in the property.
The search warrant affidavit also revealed that Hackman and Arakawa’s bodies were found after two maintenance workers for the gated community where they lived called 911, and that nobody had seen the couple for two weeks. When officers arrived, the door to the residence was ajar but there were no signs of forced entry.
Arakawa’s body was found on the floor of a bathroom on the ground floor of the residence, and an orange prescription bottle was close by with pills scattered on the countertop. The affidavit added that her body “showed obvious signs of death, body decomposition, bloating in her face, and mummification in both hands and feet.” Hackman’s body was found in a “similar” condition to his wife’s in what is thought to have been a mud room close to the kitchen. The deputies on the scene suspected that he had “suddenly fallen,” and sunglasses and a walking cane were located close to his body.
It was later confirmed that the dead dog was found in a crate in the bathroom closet, and two healthy dogs were also on the property — one inside the home and another outside.
The affidavit requested a “thorough search and investigation” into Hackman and Arakawa’s deaths, and on Friday, the tragic details of Hackman’s final days were shared in a press conference with the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator's chief medical examiner, Dr. Heather Jarrell.
While Hackman and Arakawa’s bodies were found on Feb. 26, it was previously reported that Hackman had likely died on Feb. 18, as this was the last day any heart activity was recorded by his pacemaker. Arakawa, on the other hand, is thought to have died on Feb. 11, with Dr. Jarrell saying that her cause of death was hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare infectious disease carried by rodents that can cause flulike symptoms and affect the lungs and heart.
Authorities also identified the deceased dog as Zinna, and said that the pet had been picked up from a veterinary hospital on Feb. 9 following a procedure, which could be why it was being kept in a crate in the couple’s home.
Dr. Jarrell also shed some light on Hackman’s heartbreaking final week of life, saying that due to his advanced Alzheimer’s, it is "quite possible that he was not aware that she [his wife] was deceased.”
Officials have found no evidence that Hackman had communicated with anybody after Arakawa’s death, and could not determine if he would have been able to care for himself. Neurologist Dr. Brendan Kelley added that Alzheimer's disease can leave patients unable to act on their own emotional discomfort, including eating, sleeping, and bathing themselves.
"A person might feel worried or frightened, but at the same time, they might not be capable to take the actions that you or I might normally think to do in order to alleviate that worry or concern, such as calling somebody else, or going to speak to a neighbor,” he explained.
Needless to say, many were left devastated by this update as they reflected on the fear, confusion, and discomfort that Hackman must have felt before he died.
And now, Bruce Willis’s wife, Emma Heming Willis, has issued an emotional statement calling for people to look out for caregivers like Arakawa.
For reference, Bruce was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2023, which is the most common form of dementia for people under 60. It came one year after the Emmy-winning actor was diagnosed with aphasia, which impacts somebody’s ability to understand or produce speech.
Bruce’s family previously explained that the dementia impacts his ability to communicate, and in October, his ex-wife, Demi Moore, shared an update on how he is doing.
The couple split in 2000 but have maintained a close friendship, in part due to their shared children.
“The disease is what the disease is. And I think you have to be in real deep acceptance of what that is. But for where he's at, he is stable," she said at the 2024 Hamptons International Film Festival. “What I always encourage is to just meet them where they're at. When we're holding on to what was, I think it's a losing game.”
And in a new Instagram video, Emma has reflected on the fact that caring for somebody with dementia requires a lot of support. “This is not something I would normally comment on,” she began. “But I do really believe that there is some learning in this story in regards to the tragic passing of Mr. and Mrs. Hackman. It’s just made me think of this broader story, and that is that caregivers need care, too.”
“They are vital, and it is so important that we show up for them so that they can continue to show up for their person,” Emma continued. “I think that there's this common misconception that caregivers, they’ve got it figured out, they’ve got it covered, they're good — I don't subscribe to that.”
“I think that we need to be showing up for them so that they can continue to show up for their person,” she concluded, adding in the post’s caption: “Caregivers need care too. Period. Full stop.”
Emma was widely praised for her statement, and Bruce and Demi’s daughter Tallulah Willis was among the people to show their support in the video’s comments, where she simply wrote: “I love you so much.”
You can watch Emma’s full video below:
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