Last week, the body of the 95 year-old two-time Oscar-winner Gene Hackman was found in his Santa Fe mansion. He was discovered with the body of his 65 year-old wife Betsy Arakawa, along with the body of one of their three dogs.
Now, new details about Hackman’s final years, many of which were spent in seclusion, have come to light.
Hackman’s Final Years In Seclusion
After retiring from acting in 2004, Hackman spent much of his time in seclusion in Santa Fe.
“I think you can escape anywhere, but I think the beauty of the city – they just loved the area,” Mark Kreusch, a photographer, told Fox News of Hackman and Arakawa. “Even though he was a bit reclusive, he really loved Santa Fe. It resonated with him.”
Kreusch went on to claim that Hackman and Arakawa liked driving to “very, very remote” locations outside Santa Fe.
So maybe not so much “seclusion” as we normally think of it, but definitely an effort to stay out of the limelight.
“I would see him out in remote areas in passing and just on these long drives,” Kreusch recalled.
“I actually saw them driving a couple of different times,” he continued. Kreusch then said that he was “coming up from either Albuquerque or I was going to Santa Fe from Taos, and I saw them and I recognized both their cars. I kind of just gave them as much space as they could get, but I would see them in these very, very remote areas. They were really picturesque places by the side of a river once, and once it was near a mountain side.”
Kreusch also said that it was clear that Hackman and Arakawa were “really, really tight.”
“They were extremely close,” he explained. “[Hackman] always seemed like a really together kind of person, as far as he was still up and about. And being at that old age, he was still really an active person.”
Related: Gene Hackman, 95, And Wife Found ‘Mummified’ – Police Say Deaths Are ‘Suspicious’
Hackman Was ‘Slowing Down’
Hackman’s old friend Stuart Ashman, however, said that it was clear that the actor was “slowing down” in his final years.
“Obviously, he was 95, so he was slowing down,” Ashman said. “And after COVID, he was more reclusive, protecting his immune system and everything else.”
Ashman is just as confused by Hackman and Arakawa’s deaths as the rest of us.
“I really am puzzled by the whole thing,” Ashman said. “You know, there’s a lot of different reports coming out. It’s kind of a tragic mystery in a way. And I can’t really speculate on what it could have been. Certainly nothing dark there. I think it gets compounded by the fact that it was the two of them and the dog. But I don’t know beyond that.”
Related: Gene Hackman, 95, Was ‘Murdered,’ Hollywood Legend Randy Quaid Alleges
Hackman’s Neighbors Weigh In
Hackman’s neighbors Daniel and Barbara Lenihan and their son Aaron opened up to People Magazine about what the star was like in his final months. They said that he had been “essentially kind of home-bound” in “recent times” and “quit riding his bike through the neighborhood.”
“Betsy tried to keep him kind of active and engaged,” said Aaron. He added that Hackman did puzzles and yoga via Zoom daily. “She was still trying to keep him as active and engaged and healthy as possible.”
Lynn Otero, a waitress who often served Hackman and Arakawa at their favorite local Italian restaurant, described the actor as a “generous” person.
“He was a lovely man, very generous, very well-liked in the community,” she said. “Nobody bothered them. That’s why they were here, because they could keep their privacy here in Santa Fe.”
Police are still investigating the deaths of Hackman and Arakawa. They’ve already confirmed that foul play is not suspected at this time. While it’s sad that they have passed away, it’s nice to know that Hackman and Arakawa seemingly enjoyed their final years together in seclusion.
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