All About Gene Hackman’s Wife, Classical Pianist Betsy Arakawa, Who Died Alongside the Actor and Their Dog

Mar. 15, 2025

Two-time Oscar winnerGene Hackmanwas found dead at his Santa Fe home on Feb. 26, along with his wife Betsy Arakawa and their dog.

That same year, he underwent angioplasty due to congestive heart failure — something that convinced him in part to retire from making films, perAARP The Magazine. Hackman then pivoted to writing, publishing his first book,Wake of the Perdido Star, in 1999.

In 2014, Hackman told theWriter’s Bonepodcast that Arakawa, whom he married in 1991, helped him to hone his writing.

“If, in fact, I have a style, it came from repeated edits, friends' suggestions, and my wife’s unwavering, specific read-throughs,” he said.

So, who was Gene Hackman’s wife? Here’s everything to know about Betsy Arakawa and her relationship with the actor.

She met Hackman at the gym

Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa pose for a portrait in 1986.Donaldson Collection/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty

According toTheNew York Times, the actor met his future bride at a gym in California, where Arakawa worked part-time while pursuing a career in classical music. Arakawa was reportedly born in Hawaii in the early ’60s.

She was a stepmom to Hackman’s three children

Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Hackman.Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection/Getty

Though Hackman and Arakawa didn’t have children together, she was a stepmom to theHeartbreakersstar’sthree kidsfrom his previous marriage to his first wifeFaye Maltese: son Christopher Allen and daughters Leslie Anne and Elizabeth Jean.

While speaking to theIrish Independentin 2000, the actor said of his children, “It’s tough being the son or daughter of a celebrity. I couldn’t always be home with them when they were growing up and then, living in California, they’ve had my success always hanging over their heads.”

She was a classical pianist

Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa during PCC Celebrity Art Show on September 11, 1991.Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection/Getty

In addition to having worked at a fitness center, Arakawa was a skilled musician who was a classically trained pianist, according to theNew York Post.

She helped Hackman design their Santa Fe home

Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy attend the DW Griffith Awards February 24, 1992 in New York City.Ron Galella Collection via Getty

Ron Galella Collection via Getty

Hackman and Arakawa’s Santa Fe home was featured inArchitectural Digestin April 1990. Though the once abandoned 1950s building had rough beginnings, the couple worked to make their space “light and soaring” with an open floor plan and a blend of the pueblo and colonial New Mexico and Spanish Baroque styles.

Involved with “every aspect of the house,” Hackman determined the floor plan, mixed paint colors and specified details — but not without the help of his spouse.

When Hackman was away filming, Arakawa took charge, consulting with her partner over the phone and sending him photos. The couple procured their furniture locally and from boutiques around the world, including in New York, California and Germany.

She maintained her privacy

Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa.Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection/Getty

They shared two German shepherds

Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection/Getty

According to Hackman’s bio withSimon & Schuster, he and Arakawa shared their home with two German shepherds. They previously had three: In 1999, the couple adopted a third, according toTheBaltimore Sun.

While Hackman was filmingThe Replacementsin Baltimore, two strays wandered onto the set. The actor had them brought to a local shelter, which named the dogs Gene and Keanu, after Hackman and his costarKeanu Reeves. The couple adopted the one named Gene.

They had date night every Friday

Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa.Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty

In 2020, Hackman gave fans a glimpse into his private life with Arakawa in an interview withEmpire. As he told the outlet, the two regularly watched DVDs that Arakawa rented. “We like simple stories that some of the little low-budget films manage to produce,” he said.

He also shared their weekend ritual. “Friday night is set aside for a Comedy Channel marathon, with particular attention paid toEddie Izzard,” the outlet reported. “The speed of thought is amazing,” Hackman said.

Aaron also described Hackman and Arakawa as “one of the tightest couple’s I’ve seen.”

“They seemed like real life partners, really, really close to each other, and they were both incredibly kind. And they were reserved, but they were real, [and] a lot of fun," he said.

Aaron’s mother, Barbara Lenihan, added, “Gene was as proud of Betsy as she was of him. She had been a concert pianist. Over at their house, she had a special building, a studio that half of it was her grand pianos [and] another half was Gene’s art studio.”

Hackman and Arakawa were found dead at their home

Gene Hackman and Betsy.DMI/The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock

DMI/The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock

Hackman and Arakawa were found dead in their Santa Fe home on Feb. 26 after maintenance workerscalled 911to report that they hadn’t seen the couple in two weeks. TheSanta Fe New Mexicanfirst broke the news, citing County Sheriff Mendoza.

At the time, the sheriff did not provide a cause of death or say when the couple might have passed. Arakawa’s body was found near an open bottle of scattered pills in the bathroom, and Hackman was discovered near the kitchen wearing sweats. Medications, including Tylenol, blood pressure medication, and thyroid medication, were later recovered from the home.

According to investigators, there was no immediate indication of a gas leak in the home and Hackman and Arakawa’s bodies showed no signs of “external trauma” during their autopsies.

Both of their bodies had “obvious signs of death,” including “mummification” and bloating, indicating that they may have passed awhile before Feb. 26. Hackman’s pacemaker was found to have stopped on Feb. 17, nine days earlier.

Hackman died seven days later of severe heart disease, high blood pressure and advanced Alzheimer’s disease.

source: people.com