Another death has shaken the foundations of Hollywood. According to a report by the Reuters agency echoed by the American press, the bodies of 95-year-old Gene Hackman and his 63-year-old wife Betsy Arakawa were found at their residence on the outskirts of Santa Fe (New Mexico). The causes are currently unknown, and an investigation has been opened.
The life of the French Connection star (1971), for which he won an Oscar, has been so private that last year LOC reported on his first public appearance in two decades. The last time they were photographed at a public event was at the Golden Globe Awards in 2003.
The couple met in the mid-80s at a gym in Los Angeles where Betsy worked part-time while opportunities arose to showcase her skills in classical music.
The attraction between them was almost instant, despite her being 32 years younger. When their relationship was revealed, the Superman star (1978) made it clear to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that he did not leave his wife, Faye Maltese, whom he was married to from 1956 to 1986, for Betsy. He stated, "I didn't leave my wife in real life for a younger woman. We just grew apart. We lost touch. When you work in this business, marriage requires a lot of work and love."
In 1990, the couple moved to New Mexico and that same year, the actor underwent angioplasty due to heart failure. They got married in 1991 in a discreet ceremony. Arakawa never gave interviews and did not have social media because what she desired most was to enjoy a quiet life away from the Hollywood scene. In fact, Hackman had retired from acting. Of Hawaiian descent, the pianist supported her husband in all his projects, especially in designing their home.
Additionally, the Hollywood star confessed that his wife had helped him become a better writer: "I have a style that is the result of repeated edits, suggestions from friends, and my wife's incessant and specific readings," he commented on the Writer's Bone podcast. They did not have children together, but Betsy became the stepmother to the actor's three children from his previous marriage.