Gene Hackman’s Cause of Death Revealed Alongside Tragic Details of Wife’s Passing

The actor, 95, died of heart disease a week after his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 65, succumbed to hantavirus, with investigators suggesting he may not have been aware of her death due to advanced Alzheimer’s.

Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 65, were found deceased in their Santa Fe, New Mexico, home on February 26, with their deaths occurring a week apart.
Medical examiners determined that Arakawa died first from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare lung infection transmitted by rodents, likely on February 11.
Hackman, who had advanced Alzheimer’s and significant heart disease, died of heart failure around February 18, with investigators suggesting he may not have been aware of his wife’s death.
The couple lived a private life in Santa Fe, with Arakawa taking on the role of Hackman’s primary caregiver in his later years, managing his health and daily needs.
Hackman, a two-time Oscar-winning actor, received a tribute at the 97th Academy Awards on March 2, honoring his legacy in films such as 'The French Connection' and 'Unforgiven.'