Who Was Gene Hackman's Wife, Betsy Arakawa?

Gene Hackman and his second wife, Betsy Arakawa were together for more than 40 years, from 1984 until she and Hackman were tragically found dead on February 27, 2025. While Hackman had a legendary acting career that included films like "The Conversation," the 1980s-era "Superman" franchise, and "Hoosiers," Arakawa's life was less well known, though she did rack up her own achievements.

Arakawa, who was 63 when she died, was born in Hawaii and later moved to California and eventually New Mexico. Her romance with Hackman began serendipitously when she was employed at a gym. Hackman's first marriage to Faye Maltese was ending, and their divorce was officially wrapped up in 1986. Arakawa was in her early twenties when they first started dating, close in age to Hackman's own three children. The actor acknowledged the overlap in relationships as well as their age gap when speaking to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel in 1985. "I did not leave my real-life wife for a younger woman. We just drifted apart." After living together for a time, Hackman and Arakawa married in 1991. They didn't have any children together.

Throughout the decades of their marriage, Hackman and Arakawa lived a happy life away from media attention. "They always were somewhat reclusive even though everyone loved to be around them," their friend Barbara Lenihan informed The New York Times. Here's what we know about Hackman's second wife. 

The year before they married, Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa were focused on building a life in New Mexico. The couple found a home near Santa Fe that needed extensive renovations, and they collaborated with architects to bring their creative vision to life. Hackman and Betsy also put their own combined spin on decorating the home. "We bought a few things in Santa Fe. Other things came from auctions in New York, an antiques shop in Germany that Betsy and I found, and from Los Angeles," Hackman informed Architectural Digest in 1990. The property was large enough for the couple to later build a second house on the same piece of land.

Beyond her own home, Arakawa used her decorating knowledge and co-ran a home décor business. Earlier in her career, she worked as a classical pianist. Once their home construction project ended, Hackman and Arakawa settled into a comfortable existence, which became even quieter after Hackman retired from acting. "He still bicycles, does yard work and he's a great handyman," an insider divulged to Closer in 2020. "He loves the peaceful life he shares with the lovely Betsy." 

While Hackman occasionally garnered media attention when he was out and about, Arakawa was able to stay out of the spotlight almost completely after her husband stopped acting. When the Daily Mail published photos of Hackman and Arakawa from March 2024, they noted the couple hadn't appeared for media photo ops in decades. 

From early in their relationship, Betsy Arakawa was a source of unwavering support for Gene Hackman. She joined him for numerous red-carpet events over the years, even before they married, including the 1989 Oscars and the 2003 Golden Globes. After a physician voiced concerns about Hackman's heart health, he decided to pivot away from acting in the early 2000s. A decade earlier, Hackman had already experienced cardiac concerns and needed an angioplasty.

Arakawa lent her support to Hackman once again when he embarked on a career as a writer when he was 74, one of the lesser-known aspects of Hackman's life. After he completed a handwritten draft, Arakawa handled getting it into a digital format. In addition, she provided an invaluable listening ear throughout Hackman's creative process. When Writer's Bone inquired about Hackman's writing style in 2014, he explained, "If in fact, I have a style, it came from repeated edits, friends' suggestions, and my wife's unwavering, specific read-throughs."

Arakawa also made a point to have fun with her husband, too. Although Hackman's days in front of the camera had concluded, she made sure they watched plenty of movies together. "We like simple stories that some of the little low-budget films manage to produce," Hackman informed Empire in 2009. In March 2024, the couple was spotted after dining at a local restaurant together. Once again, Arakawa offered her arm to support her husband as they walked.

Throughout their marriage, Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa shared a love of pets, particularly German shepherds. One photo of the couple shows them beaming as they bend down close to their dogs. Hackman and Arakawa owned three dogs together, and they made a huge effort to make sure they got plenty of love and care. Before welcoming a new dog into the family, they made sure all the dogs were compatible.

In another instance, the couple sought emergency veterinary services. "I was on critical care late one night my senior year of veterinary school at Colorado State when Gene Hackman and his wife showed up with their elderly sick dog," vet Kevin McSweeney recalled on X (formerly Twitter). "They had driven 8 hours to get the best care for their dog."

Sadly, one of the couple's dogs died along with them in February 2025, while their other two pets survived. An investigation is ongoing. Hackman's daughter, Elizabeth Jean Hackman, voiced her concerns to TMZ, speculating that carbon monoxide poisoning was the cause of her father and stepmother's deaths. However, according to the search warrant, further examination of Hackman and Arakawa's home "did not locate signs of a carbon monoxide leak or poisoning," (via NBC), nor did it uncover any issues involving natural gas as of this writing.