Hollywood legend Gene Hackman’s recent death has shone a spotlight on his complex relationships with his children, revealing a family dynamic strained by fame and prolonged separations. The actor, best known for his roles in Bonnie and Clyde and Superman, died in his Santa Fe home alongside his wife, Betsy Arakawa. Authorities later confirmed that Betsy died due to Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome on or around February 11.
“In the early hours of Thursday, February 27, 2025, Hackman and Arakawa were transported to the Office of the Medical Investigator (OMI). An autopsy was performed. Initial findings noted no external trauma to either individual,” confirmed a statement from the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office. Hackman’s daughter Leslie, 58, spoke to the Daily Mail about her father’s condition before his death, noting his commitment to health even in his later years.
“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,” she explained. Despite this, she admitted: “His passing was not terribly shocking because he was 95.”
Leslie is The Conversation actor’s youngest child, whom he shared with his first wife, Faye Maltese. They also welcomed Christopher, 65, and Elizabeth, 63. Faye and Gene parted ways in 1986, and he went on to find love again with Betsy, a classical pianist.
The impact of Hackman’s career is believed to have taken a huge strain on his personal relationships. He admitted in past interviews how his drive for success often kept him away from home, placing a heavy burden on his relationships with his children.
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“You spend so many years wanting desperately to be recognised as having the talent and then when you’re starting to be offered these parts, it’s very tough to turn anything down,” he once confessed to The New York Times.
Hackman’s dedication to his career meant long periods away from his family, which he acknowledged had lasting effects. “Even though I had a family, I took jobs that would separate us for three or four months at a time. The temptations in that, the money and recognition, it was too much for the poor boy in me. I wasn’t able to handle that,” Hackman revealed.
As Faye shouldered the majority of the parenting, the Oscar winner found it difficult to slot back into his family dynamic after projects had wrapped.
“I didn’t handle it very well, really. I took care of my family. You know, my family’s never wanted for anything,” he told Larry King.
“But because I was so enamoured of the Hollywood of old, you know, the glamour of that, although I never involved myself in that, I was really…taken with that, and the fact that I was part of that.”
While his children occasionally joined him at public events, they largely chose to stay out of the limelight.
Hackman himself reflected on the pressures his fame imposed on his family, telling the Irish Independent: “It’s tough being the son or daughter of a celebrity. I couldn’t always be home with them when they were growing up and then, living in California, they’ve had my success always hanging over their heads.”
As the family now navigates the aftermath of Hackman and Arakawa’s sudden deaths, Leslie also expressed her gratitude towards her stepmother for her role in keeping her father healthy. “I give credit to his wife, Betsy, for keeping him alive. She 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.”
Leslie, along with her siblings and Gene’s granddaughter Annie, released a statement mourning the dual loss: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy. 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. We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss.”