Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa were found mummified at mansion with pills strewn in bathroom

Daily Mail UK ^ | February 26, 2025 | MARJORIE HERNANDEZ

[ABStrauss]

What a sad ending to a great actor.

I know he made a lot of great movies, but Hoosiers was my all-time favorite.

Everyone was great including Sheb Wooley and Barbara Hersey.

[Hammerhead]

I’m betting Col. Mustard in the Library with a candlestick.

...or DOGE.

[GingisK]

Yeah I’m that old only older.

Me too. I remember Victor Mature & Yul Brenner films. Others as well.

I have much more vivid memories Sophia Loren, Rachael Welsh, and Audrey Hepburn movies.

[Empire_of_Liberty]

It sounds like he died, she couldn’t live without him and forgot about the dog.

Very sad.

[Red6]

The obvious guess.

Or it could be relationship trouble and one decided to OD the other and then oneself.

All wild speculation.

95 is a ripe old age.

61 for her isn’t.

He made some great films.

[quilterdebbie]

That was my thought too since he was found in the mud room and she was in the bathroom with pill strewn around.

[SkyDancer]

Let me ask another question before I leave ....

[enumerated]

Was there a puddle of water? If so, there may have been a giant block of ice that had something to do with it - can’t rule anything out at this point.

[Toespi]

OR, they were murdered. Obviously, there wasn’t much of a father/kids relationship, at least one of them would have called in the two weeks to say, hi. Hackman was ninety five, possibly had a terminal illness. Eighty million dollars inheritance going to his wife could be a motive. Staged pills in the bathroom, dog shut into closet, his body found in a utility room, his sunglasses on the floor.

[fidelis]

"They valued their privacy. They wanted to be alone. By the way, we haven’t heard anything from Greta Garbo lately. Somebody ought to look in and see if she’s alright."

Greta Garbo never said she wanted to be alone, she only said she wanted to be left alone--from the gossip columnists, scandal mongers, and others that constantly stalked her.

[beaversmom]

Talk about making up something out of whole cloth.

[NorthernDancer]

Hoosiers is a great favorite of mine too. Dennis Hopper was also great in his role, and the non-actor basketball players did quite well too. Of course, Gene Hackman was the heart of the movie. I hope the explanation for their death does not add to the tragedy.

[Vaduz]

Wonder who’s in the will?

[PMAS]

Just a possible theory, not swearing by it

[xkaydet65]

Think Gibbs and Abby should be on this case.

[poinq]

OK, watch his children. He has children from first wife. If the second wife died, they get the money. If not the children do. There are three children over 60 and they have children too. If Genes wife did not outlive Gene the will changes.

[citizen]

Did Hackman outlast the Pasadena Playhouse?

[CaptainPhilFan]

That supposition depends on the wording and whatever is bequeathed in his Will, if he had one.

[Noumenon]

Just one more thing...

[nicksaunt]

According to an article I read years ago, Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman were life long friends which started at the Pasadena Playhouse. Hackman got a stage gig in NYC and moved there with his young family. Hoffman considered Hackman a mentor and showed up in NYC a few weeks later at Hackman's door step unannounced and broke. Hackman let him stay for a time and Hoffman slept on the kitchen floor and took on part time jobs. Hackman's wife finally got tired of it and said Hoffman needed to leave.

Hoffman moved out, got a new roommate, another friend in the business. His name was Robert Duvall.