This week, Gene Hackman and his wife were mysteriously found dead at their home, and the situation is being investigated by the police. His heartbroken daughters revealed that they had not spoken to or seen him in recent months.

On February 26, 2025, news broke that Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead in their Santa Fe, New Mexico home, shocking the world. At the time of their deaths, the actor was 95, and his wife was 64.

The couple’s bodies were discovered in separate rooms of their $3.8 million home. Gene and his wife’s neighbor and caretaker called emergency services after discovering the bodies. Since the news emerged, some of Gene’s family members have shared their thoughts and grief about the matter.

The day after his death, Leslie Anne and Elizabeth Hackman, two of the late actor’s three children, along with his granddaughter, Annie, broke their silence with a statement. They said, “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman, and his wife, Betsy.”

Their statement continued, “He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us, he was always just Dad and Grandpa.” The trio concluded, “We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss.”

On the day the statement was released, Leslie shared her thoughts on her father’s death. She revealed to a publication that the family was awaiting information from law enforcement to determine the couple’s cause of death.

Leslie and Elizabeth can only speculate that the couple might have died from inhaling toxic fumes, possibly due to a carbon monoxide leak. Their father and stepmother were not the only ones who perished in the house; one of their three dogs also passed away.

According to Leslie, the family is still processing the incident since “there was no indication that there was any problem” with Gene before his death. The 58-year-old revealed, “Despite his age, he was in very good physical condition.”

She shared that he enjoyed doing yoga and Pilates several times a week and was in good health. The late star’s daughter also noted that the actor had not undergone any major surgeries in recent months. However, Leslie admitted that losing him was “not terribly shocking because he was 95.”

As a California resident, Gene’s daughter acknowledged that it had been “a few months” since she last saw or heard from her reclusive father, despite their close bond. Leslie explained, “We were close. I hadn’t talked to them for a couple of months, but everything was normal, and everything was good.”

The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office stated that the couple’s bodies had been in their home for at least a day before deputies found them. An arrest warrant revealed that both bodies showed signs of decomposition while the affidavit deemed the deaths “suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation.”

Leslie intends to go to New Mexico as soon as she receives feedback from the police. She explained, “We need to wait and find out whatever information from the police. We weren’t expecting to have to go out there and go through the house and all that.”

Gene’s daughter continued, “So we have some work cut out for us. But yeah, we’ll be going out to New Mexico.” The late actor’s first wife was Faye Maltese, with whom he welcomed Leslie, her sister, and their older brother, Christopher Allen.

The “Superman” star and his first wife, a bank clerk, were married from 1956 to 1986. Speaking about her father and Betsy’s marriage, Leslie said, “They had a wonderful marriage. And I give credit to his wife, Betsy, for keeping him alive.”

She continued, “'[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.”

On the same day Leslie opened up, Tim Hackman, Gene’s nephew, also shared his thoughts. Tim revealed that he and his side of the family learned about his uncle and his wife’s death through Leslie before the news broke. He also mentioned that Leslie was the family member who had the most contact with the late couple.

The 51-year-old relative shared that he found out the truth on Wednesday night and was saddened to learn that his uncle’s death was not natural. When asked if Gene had any significant health issues, he responded, “I mean, he was old. I’m sure he had some [health] concerns, but nothing that was shared.”

Barbara Hackman, Tim’s mother, was married to Gene’s brother, Richard, who worked as the late actor’s stuntman and passed away 11 years ago. Tim also shared the last time he saw the late star, stating, “Eleven years ago was the last time I physically saw him. He only came to California during the warm weather, and then he just stayed in New Mexico.”

Despite it being over a decade, Tim clarified that Gene was not “estranged” from the rest of the family. The late actor’s nephew elaborated, “He liked New Mexico. He loved it. It’s a beautiful place.”

Tim revealed that he mostly communicated with his uncle through Betsy, but they only spoke “every once in a while” since Gene was “at the age where he wasn’t really communicative a lot with the family.”

Most of their communication involved Tim giving Betsy updates on how he and his children were doing “because our major connection was the military background, but that was it really.” He recalled how Betsy would inform him that his uncle was doing well and staying active for his age.

Like Leslie, Tim believed his wife cared deeply for Gene, insisting, “I truly believe he made it as long as he did because of her.” Since there was a 31-year age difference between the late couple, the Hackman family anticipated that he would pass away first, leaving his wife to handle the funeral arrangements.

However, with both of them now gone, the family has had to make contingency plans. Tim noted, “So the preparedness of it was that he would go first and that we would probably, maybe, depending on whatever it was [Betsy] had set up, would go down there and pay our condolences and everything.”

He continued, “Now with this, it significantly changes things. I have no idea what – I’m assuming one of his kids will probably take over – and [plan]. I don’t know. It’s still very, very early.”

While Gene’s funeral plans are currently uncertain, the distressing 911 call made by the couple’s caretaker has been released. On the recording, it was clear the caller was shaken as they hesitated to reveal that they had found two bodies.

The dispatcher responded by immediately sending paramedics while the caretaker was heard sniffling and repeatedly cursing. The caller struggled to give details when asked about the individuals they had discovered, unable to provide their ages or genders.

With no way to enter the home, the caretaker remained outside, noting through a window that neither Gene Hackman nor his wife appeared to be moving. The caller told the dispatcher, “No, dude, they’re not moving. Just send somebody out here really quick.”

The police arrived shortly afterward, confirming the devastating news. According to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office, preliminary autopsies showed no external trauma to either individual.

Authorities stated that toxicology tests have been requested, and while foul play is not suspected, it has not been entirely ruled out.