Gene Hackman’s Cause of Death Clarified After Wife’s Hantavirus Tragedy

The actor, 95, succumbed to heart disease days after his wife, Betsy Arakawa, died from hantavirus, with investigators suggesting his advanced Alzheimer’s left him unaware of her passing.

Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 65, were found deceased in their Santa Fe home on February 26, 2025, along with one of their dogs.
Medical examiners confirmed Arakawa died around February 11 from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare virus spread by rodents, while Hackman passed a week later from heart disease with Alzheimer’s as a contributing factor.
Investigators believe Hackman, in an advanced stage of Alzheimer’s, may not have realized his wife had died and was unable to seek help for himself.
The couple’s bodies were discovered by maintenance workers after neighbors reported not seeing them for weeks; authorities ruled out foul play in their deaths.
Hackman, a two-time Oscar winner, had credited Arakawa for her devoted care in his later years, with friends noting her role as his primary caregiver after his Alzheimer’s diagnosis.