Who Was Gene Hackman’s Wife, Betsy Arakawa? How Many Times Was He Married?
Gene Hackman had an incredible acting career with two Academy Awards, four Golden Globes, and two British Academy Films Awards under his belt. Sadly, he and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, and their dog were found dead in February 2025. So, who was Arakawa, and how many times did Hackman tie the knot? Here’s what to know about Hackman’s wives.
Who was Gene Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa?
Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 63, were tragically found dead in their home in February 2025. Authorities have no suspicion of foul play.
So, who is Arakawa? Born in Hawaii, she was a pianist before becoming an entrepreneur. Arakawa co-owned a furnishing business in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she and Hackman lived. She preferred to live out of the spotlight despite her husband’s fame. Hackman told The Irish Independent in 2000 that living in Santa Fe allows him to remain unbothered “by the latest gossip.” He didn’t feel he had to stay in Los Angeles to remain successful in his career. “Not that many movies are shot there anymore,” he explained.
Arakawa and Hackman met in the mid-’80s while she worked part-time at a gym in California. They tied the knot in 1991.
The couple appeared passionate about remodeling their home and watching movies. In 2020, Hackman revealed to Empire Magazine that he enjoyed watching “DVDs that my wife rents; we like simple stories that some of the little low-budget films manage to produce.” The publication also revealed that Hackman took up writing, and Arakawa would type what he wrote longhand.
The couple eluded paparazzi photos for 21 years until recently. Photographers last caught Arakawa and Hackman together in March 2024. They had a dinner outing at Pappadeaux’s Seafood Kitchen in New Mexico.
Gene Hackman married twice — first to Faye Maltese
Betsy Arakawa was Gene Hackman’s second wife. He previously married Faye Maltese, a secretary at Rockefeller Center, in 1956. They had three children: Christopher Allen, 65, Elizabeth Jean, 63, and Leslie Anne Hackman, 58. The couple met in 1955 at a YMCA dance in New York City. Hackman was 25 at the time.
Hackman wasn’t famous when he and Maltese fell in love. However, his relationship changed when he attained fame on Broadway and the big screen. He and Maltese divorced in 1986.
“Even though I had a family, I took jobs that would separate us for three or four months at a time,” Hackman admitted to The New York Times in 1989. “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 also discussed the end of his marriage to Maltese with The Sun Sentinel in 1985. “By the way, I did not leave my real-life wife for a younger woman,” the actor verified. “We just drifted apart . . . We lost sight of each other. When you work in this business, marriage takes a great deal of work and love.”
“People do drift away from each other,” he continued. “We do the best we can.”
Hackman wanted his wife and family ‘taken care of’ after his death
Gene Hackman spoke to Larry King in 2004 about death. The actor noted he didn’t “have a lot of fear” surrounding the subject. Hackman also explained how he dealt with heart issues, including “severe angina” over a decade earlier.
“I try to take care of myself,” he said. “I don’t have a lot of fears. I have the normal fear of passing away. You know, I guess we all think about that, especially when you get to be a certain age . . . I want to make sure that my wife and my family are taken care of. Other than that, I don’t have a lot of fears.”
Elements of this article were originally reported by Newsweek and DailyMail.com,
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