On Friday, family friends of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, Daniel and Barbara Lenihan, along with their son Aaron, shared their memories of the couple, whom they had known for over thirty years. In an interview with PEOPLE, the Lenihans revealed that Hackman’s health had been deteriorating in recent months, shedding light on the couple’s final days after the Hackman family’s dead bodies were discovered in their New Mexico home.
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Lenihans reveal Hackman’s health was deteriorating
Daniel revealed that “in recent times” the Unforgiven actor was “essentially kind of home-bound.” His wife Barbara shared that Hackman “quit riding his bike through the neighbourhood,” around a year ago. Aaron added, “Betsy tried to keep him kind of active and engaged,” noting that the actor did puzzles and yoga on Zoom calls every day. He told the media outlet, “She was still trying to keep him as active and engaged and healthy as possible.” The Lenihan couple mentioned that in the “last couple of months,” Hackman “was really slipping there.” Barbara shared, “Betsy was in perfect health” and “was so fit.”
Aaron revealed that Betsy “was very protective of him in terms of COVID, so she’d always wear a mask when we’d see her out.” He also told People magazine that “they were one of the tightest couples I’ve seen,” adding, “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.”
Barbara agreed with Aaron’s statement and said, “Yes, they did. 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.”
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Reports suggest Hackman and his family were dead for a week
The tragic discovery of Hackman and Arakawa’s bodies revealed unsettling details. Arakawa was found in the bathroom, next to a space heater and an open bottle of pills, including thyroid medication, Tylenol, and diltiazem, a blood pressure medication. Her body showed signs of “mummification,” indicating she had likely passed away sometime before being found.
Hackman’s body also showed “obvious signs of death,” with authorities confirming that his pacemaker had stopped functioning on February 17, suggesting he had been deceased for about nine days before the bodies were discovered on February 26.