The much admired actor Gene Hackman has died at the age of 93. His second wife, Betsy Arakawa, suffered natural causes of death, as established by a recent final autopsy report. The artist couple were found dead in their Santa Fe, New Mexico home on February 26. Hackman would have been 95 at the time of his death. He had a number of health issues that all played a role in his death.
The autopsy listed the primary cause of Hackman’s death as hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. His decline in health was greatly attributed to the disease of Alzheimer’s. This fight would be the heartbreaking conclusion to the life of a prodigious performer, famous for his electric work in front of the cameras. Hackman had a history of congestive heart failure, and the autopsy showed findings compatible with end-stage kidney disease.
Beyond these health concerns, the report found neurodegenerative qualities in keeping with Alzheimer’s disease. The most recent event recorded on Hackman’s pacemaker was on February 17, just a few days before his death. Sources say he had not eaten in days before he died. This should have immediately put them on high alert about his health in the days leading up to this deeply troubling incident.
His body was found by police in the mudroom of his home. Alongside him, resting on a table, were a pair of dark sunglasses and a white-tipped walking cane. A toxicology report indicated “a low concentration of acetone, which can be seen in prolonged fasting,” suggesting that he may have been experiencing severe health issues in the days preceding his death.
As a photo from Hackman’s 2018 accident illustrates, a Santa Fe County Sheriff’s officer reported in an affidavit acquired by Entertainment Weekly that Hackman had “unexpectedly collapsed.” This phrase perfectly describes the unexpected shock of hearing news about both of their deaths.
Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa were laid to rest in a private memorial ceremony attended by their three adult children: Christopher, Elizabeth, and Leslie. Friends and former co-stars have honored Hackman after his death. Perhaps most notably, Clint Eastwood, Nathan Lane, Gwyneth Paltrow, Bill Murray — and the Academy’s own Morgan Freeman — all paid tribute to his remarkable contributions to cinema and beloved memories of him.
