Gene Hackman's Daughter Says Stepmom Kept Iconic Actor 'Alive' For Years and 'Took Very Good Care of Him' — As Couple's Bodies Found 'Mummified' in 'Suspicious' Deaths
Gene Hackman lived until the age of 95, and his wife is a big reason for that.
Feb. 28 2025, Published 8:00 p.m. ET
Gene Hackman's youngest daughter, Leslie, is crediting her stepmom, Betsy Arakawa, for keeping her famous father alive until age 95, in comments made just days following the couple's shocking deaths.
Leslie, however, also admitted she hadn't spoken to either of her parents for months before they were discovered dead in their Santa Fe home, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Hackman's wife, Betsy Arakawa, is credited for keeping the actor 'alive for years.'
The movie star's daughter told Daily Mail Arakawa was all about keeping Hackman in "good health," and she succeeded.
She revealed: "Despite his age, he was in very good physical condition. He liked to do Pilates and yoga, and he was continuing to do that several times a week. So he was in good health.”
"They had a wonderful marriage. And I give credit to his wife, Betsy, for keeping him alive. Betsy took very, very good care of him and was always looking out for his health. So, I am appreciative to her for that, and I'm very saddened by her passing," she added.
The movie star's daughter Leslie (L) praised her stepmother, despite not seeing either parent in months.
Hackman shared Leslie, daughter Elizabeth, and son Christopher with his first wife, Faye Maltese.
Despite what seemed like a strong relationship between Leslie and her parents, she also admitted she unfortunately hadn't seen much of them lately.
"We were close. I hadn't talked to them for a couple months, but everything was normal and everything was good," she said after she was spotted with sister Elizabeth having breakfast together in a Burbank, California.
The French Connection actor and Arakawa, 63, were found deceased in separate rooms on Wednesday, February 26, inside of their mansion. According to a warrant, the pair's bodies were "mummified."
Arakawa was found decomposed with bloating on her face and mummification in her hands and feet, while the Hollywood legend also exhibited the same signs of decomposition as his wife of 34 years.
It took authorities on the scene 12 hours to identify Hackman and Arakawa due to their condition.
While no suicide note was found near the bodies, pills were according to the warrant, leading investigators to label the deaths as "suspicious."
Hackman and Arakawa's bodies were found 'mummified' inside of their mansion.
However, Hackman's eldest daughter speculated their deaths may have been caused by a carbon monoxide leak, despite there being no "obvious signs of a gas leak," and they both testing negative for carbon monoxide.
The official cause of death is not expected to be known for weeks.
A man, who identified himself as the couple's caretaker, was left crying after finding the dead bodies in a shocking 911 call.
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A cause of deaths will not be known for weeks.
The man, on the phone with a dispatcher, said, "Damn!" and explained, "I think we just found a deceased person inside the house. One of Hackman and Arakawa's three dogs was also found dead in a closet, however, the other two can be heard barking in the background of the call.
"I don't know, sir, just send somebody up here quick. The house is closed, it's locked... I can't go in but I see she's laying on the floor," the man said after the 911 dispatcher asked more questions.
The man also confirmed Hackman and Arakawa appeared lifeless: "They're not moving. Just send somebody up here."
