VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: New Police Bodycam Footage Shows Gene Hackman's Wife Betsy Arakawa was Picture of Health Before Being Killed by Deadly Rat-Related Illness — 'She was a Health Freak!'
March 31 2025, Published 4:00 p.m. ET
Friends say Gene Hackman's wife Betsy Arakawa was a picture of health in the days before her mysterious death, RadarOnline.com can exclusively reveal.
Arakawa's unexpected end likely went unnoticed by dementia-stricken Hackman – possibly leading to his own demise.
The dog walker and family friend said Arakawa took pride in her health.
Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 65, were found dead at their home on February 26.
While the Get Shorty star suffered from heart disease and was in the later stages of Alzheimer's, friends close to the couple said Arakawa took strides to take good care of her body.
In exclusive police body cam footage obtained by RadarOnline.com, their friend Joey Padilla, who also looked after their three dogs when they were away, revealed how shocked he was that she passed first.
Talking to investigators, he said: "It’s crazy because Betsy is a lot younger than Gene. And, like, she was super healthy. She was like a health freak."
Padilla added the classical pianist took great strides to care for her health: "She got acupuncture. She (ate) healthy foods, everything."
The 'Get Shorty' star was racked by dementia before his death.
According to Padilla, Arakawa never had any medical issues of her own and spent the past several years acting as Hackman's personal caretaker.
He added: "She always dealt with Gene. I mean, she always was like, anything he needed, you know, to take care of them. But she was healthy."
Doctors seemed to agree with Padilla's assessment and discovered Arakawa's death was most likely not natural. Autopsy results conducted after Arakawa was discovered in her bathroom revealed symptoms including fever and muscle aches.
Experts soon determined she likely died on February 11 from a disease called hantavirus, spread by infected rodent droppings. The disease is extremely rare, with only 864 cases documented in the US between 1993 and 2022.
Padilla said Arakawa served as Hackman's caretaker in their private home.
It's very likely that after she passed, dementia-stricken Hackman could have unknowingly shuffled aimlessly around his house until his eventual death on Feb. 17.
A family friend said: "It's just gut-wrenching to know that Gene lay dead in the entryway for more than two weeks before either of them was found."
Hackman was speculated to have been wracked with confusion and despair after his wife's unexpected death and was likely crying for help during his own final days, according to investigators.
Sources said the Superman star's heart pills were found scattered on a counter near Arakawa. The autopsy found Hackman, while hydrated, had no food in his stomach.
Renowned longevity expert Dr. Gabe Mirkin, who did not treat the couple, suggested: "Mr. Hackman may have been trying to take his medication but didn't know how.
Talking to investigators, he said: "It’s crazy because Betsy is a lot younger than Gene. And, like, she was super healthy.
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"He likely didn't know, or was unable to process, that his wife had died. A demented person just cannot recognize things and the situation they are in. And he probably couldn't eat because food had been given to him and he was no longer able to do things for himself."
Mirkin admitted the story could have had a different outcome: "This is the danger of having only one caregiver. Even with his health problems, if Mr. Hackman had been institutionalized – or at least had a professional assisted living caregiver – he may well have lived to be 100."
