Newly revealed investigative details on the final days of iconic actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, suggest she may have mistaken early symptoms of the rare illness that took her life for COVID-19.
A report from New Mexico officials, obtained by TMZ, show Arakawa's final internet searches before she died on February 12. Open bookmarks on her computer revealed she had searched whether COVID could cause dizziness or nosebleeds.
February 11, Arakawa emailed her massage therapist. She said Hackman woke up with flu-like symptoms that morning, and despite a negative COVID-19 test, postponed a scheduled massage appointment "out of an abundance of caution." The same day, she purchased Boost Oxygen canisters online.
On the day she died, Arakawa looked up medical providers. She made three calls to a personal medical service, Cloudberry Health, and had scheduled an appointment—but never showed up.
The new insight indicates Arakawa's growing concern about the strange symptoms she and her husband were experiencing. Arakawa died of Hantavirus, a rare respiratory illness spread through rodent droppings that begins with flu-like symptoms including dizziness, headaches, and fever.
An environmental assessment conducted by the New Mexico Department of Public Health found widespread rodent infestations across the couple's $4 million Santa Fe property.
Hackman passed away roughly five days after Arakawa, though not of Hantavirus. His death was ultimately attributed to complications arising from his existing cardiovascular and Alzheimer's disease, and it's possible he was not aware of his wife's death despite living nearly a week in the home with her decomposing body.
Gene Hackman, an Oscar-winning actor known for films such as The French Connection and Unforgiven, had largely retreated from public life in recent years. His quiet final chapter, now marked by this deeply tragic revelation, has left fans mourning both a cinematic legend and a heartbreaking end.
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