{"id":23511,"date":"2025-03-06T16:27:54","date_gmt":"2025-03-06T16:27:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/?p=23511"},"modified":"2025-03-06T16:27:54","modified_gmt":"2025-03-06T16:27:54","slug":"gene-hackman-betsy-arakawas-friend-gives-an-update-on-their-two-surviving-dogs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/?p=23511","title":{"rendered":"Gene Hackman & Betsy Arakawa’s Friend Gives an Update on Their Two Surviving Dogs"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A close friend has shared a reassuring update about Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa’s two canine babies, offering a small comfort after the couple’s sudden passing.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

The two surviving dogs that belonged to legendary actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, are now safe and adjusting to their new reality, according to the couple’s longtime friend. This update comes after Gene and Betsy were found dead in their Santa Fe, New Mexico, home on February 26, 2025.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"Betsy<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Betsy Arakawa and Gene Hackman during the 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, California, on January 19, 2003 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Alongside the couple, a third dog, an Australian kelpie mix named Zinfandel, also known as Zinna, was found dead. According to officials, Zinna was inside a crate about 10 to 15 feet away from Betsy’s body when authorities discovered the scene.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

The couple’s two other dogs \u2014 Bear, a German shepherd, and Nikki, a German shepherd mix \u2014 were found alive. Investigators said the dogs appeared to have had access to a doggy door.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"Gene<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa attend a Hollywood Foreign Press conference at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills, California, on November 11, 1992 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

One dog was discovered near Betsy’s body, while the other was found outside the home, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza confirmed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Currently, both surviving dogs are being cared for by Joey Padilla, the owner of Santa Fe Tails, a local boarding facility that the couple frequently used for their pets.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Joey\u00a0told<\/a>\u00a0ABC News, “They are safe and adjusting.” He also shared that he will continue caring for the dogs until he receives further instructions regarding Betsy’s wishes for them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"Actor<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Actor Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Hackman attend Vanity Fair Oscar Party on March 21, 1994, at Morton’s Restaurant in West Hollywood, California | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Joey spoke fondly of the late couple,\u00a0describing<\/a>\u00a0them as “amazing friends and dog lovers.” He added, “Those dogs were Betsy’s babies.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Joey, who had known\u00a0Gene Hackman<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Betsy Arakawa<\/a>\u00a0for more than ten years, explained that he used to dine out with them often before the pandemic began. In recent years, however, he saw Gene less frequently because Betsy wanted to protect her husband’s health by limiting his contact with others.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"Betsy<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Betsy Arakawa and Gene Hackman attend the 65th annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles, California, on March 29, 1993 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Joey recalled the last time he saw Betsy, which was in January when she brought Bear to Santa Fe Tails. He\u00a0described<\/a>\u00a0their final conversation, “She was the same old, just, you know, ‘Hey, how’s it going, good to see you.'”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

He\u00a0expressed<\/a>\u00a0deep sadness over the couple’s deaths, “I’m terribly saddened. They were really good people.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\"Gene<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa at the DW Griffith Awards on February 24, 1992 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

As authorities investigate the deaths of the legendary actor and his wife,\u00a0several unusual details at the scene have led to a deeper inquiry, though the exact circumstances remain unclear.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"Gene<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa at the Mike Tyson vs. Michael Spinks fight at Trump Plaza on June 27, 1988, in Atlantic City, New Jersey. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

While the couple had grown more reclusive in recent years, Betsy had still been in touch with a close friend through email just weeks before her death. Now, as authorities try to piece together their final days, those who knew them are revealing new details about their last known moments.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A journalist sets up a camera at the entrance to the Santa Fe Summit neighborhood where late actor Gene Hackman lived, on February 28, 2025 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

The Couple’s Increasing Isolation in Recent Years<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Gene and Betsy had always valued their privacy, but in their later years, they became even more withdrawn. Friends who once visited them regularly noticed that the couple stopped inviting people over, preferring to spend time alone in their Santa Fe home.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"Actor<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Actor Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Hackman attend the Mission Hills Pro-Celebrity Sports Invitational on November 30, 1991, at Rancho Mirage in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Barbara Lenihan, a longtime friend who co-owned a home d\u00e9cor store with Betsy, recalled how their social circle grew smaller over time. “People loved to be around them,” she\u00a0shared<\/a>. “We used to spend a lot of time at their house, but it’d been a while since they were comfortable having others over.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"Gene<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa at the Toyota Pro-Celebrity Race in Long Beach, California, on April 4, 1987. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Her husband, Daniel Lenihan, a\u00a0writer and close friend<\/a>\u00a0of Gene’s for over 30 years, admitted it had been “years” since he had last seen him in person. Despite their growing isolation, no one suspected anything was wrong.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Friends believed Gene and Betsy were simply enjoying a quiet life together \u2014 until their sudden deaths raised questions about what had really been happening behind closed doors.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\"Gene<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Gene Hackman posing for a portrait in Los Angeles, California , in 1996. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

The Last Known Communication<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Although the couple had distanced themselves from most social interactions, Betsy still kept in touch with a few people. One of them was her longtime friend Barbara, who had exchanged emails with her in the weeks leading up to her death.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Nothing in their conversations suggested anything was wrong, and Betsy gave no indication that she was in distress. Gene’s youngest daughter, Leslie Anne Allen, also shared that she had not spoken to her father or Betsy for a few months.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"Leslie<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Leslie and Gene Hackman at the “Class Action” premiere in Century City, California, on March 13, 1991. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

“We were close,” she\u00a0said<\/a>, adding that despite their lack of recent communication, “everything was normal, and everything was good.” She credited Betsy with taking care of Gene and making sure he remained in good health. However, there was one person in Betsy’s life who had noticed an unusual silence.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

For years, Betsy had always made it a point to check in with her 91-year-old mother, Yoshie Feaster, who lives in Hawaii every one or two months. But according to Yoshie’s longtime housekeeper, Keiko, the calls had stopped abruptly in October 2024.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

“We were thinking, what happened?” Keiko\u00a0shared<\/a>, explaining that they had started to worry when months passed without a word from Betsy. When New Mexico authorities informed Yoshie of her daughter’s passing, the tragic news didn’t fully register.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Due to her dementia, Yoshie soon forgot what had happened. “She was very upset,” Keiko\u00a0said<\/a>. “But right now, she’s kind of normal.” With Betsy’s silence going unnoticed for months and no immediate alarms raised by friends or family, the first signs of trouble only became clear when a worker arrived at the couple’s home.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

The Shocking Discovery at Their Home<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
\n

On February 26, 2025, a maintenance worker arrived at Gene and Betsy’s home outside Santa Fe, New Mexico. As he approached, he noticed something alarming. Betsy’s body was visible through a window, completely still. Immediately, he called 911.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

The\u00a0emotional 911 call<\/a>\u00a0captured the worker’s distress as he urged authorities to respond quickly. “Damn,” he\u00a0muttered<\/a> repeatedly, clearly shaken by what he had seen. He also noted that the house was locked, so he couldn’t get in.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Deputies arrived at the scene around 1:45 p.m. and found the front door unsecured and slightly open. As they stepped inside, they discovered an unusual and\u00a0puzzling scene<\/a>\u00a0that would leave investigators with more questions than answers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Unusual Details at the Scene<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Inside the home, deputies found Gene and Betsy in separate rooms under\u00a0puzzling circumstances<\/a>. Gene was discovered in the mudroom, dressed in sweatpants, a long-sleeve T-shirt, and slippers. His position suggested he had collapsed suddenly, but there were no visible signs of injury or trauma.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Betsy was found in a bathroom near the front door, lying on the ground. An open orange prescription bottle and scattered pills were on the countertop nearby. Investigators also noted a space heater placed close to her body.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

One of the couple’s dogs was found dead inside a closet near Betsy, while two dogs were found alive, roaming the property. Despite the strange details, deputies found no signs of forced entry, no obvious injuries, and no immediate explanation for their deaths.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n