Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.
The world has been rocked by the death of Gene Hackman, whose body was found with his 63-year-old wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa.
Hackman, a two-time Oscar winner who starred in films including The French Connection, Unforgiven and The Royal Tenenbaums, was 95.
The couple, who had been married since 1991, were found in their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, along with their pet dog. Two healthy dogs were also on the property.
According to a police search warrant the actor, his wife and their dog were found in separate rooms and appeared to have been “dead for some time”.
Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza initially said that foul play was not suspected, although a search warrant affidavit has since ruled their deaths “suspicious” enough to require further investigation.
Hackman’s daughter Elizabeth Jean had earlier speculated that carbon monoxide poisoning may have been the cause, but the affidavit adds that there was “no obvious signs of a gas leak.”
According to the Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza, the couple died around midnight on Thursday (27 February).
Mendoza told The Santa Fe New Mexican: “I want to assure the community and neighbourhood that there’s no immediate danger to anyone.”
Since retiring from acting in 2004, Hackman had been open about his health struggles, revealing in 2009 that his doctor wanted him to quit Hollywood due to the stress on his heart.
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
Hackman told Empire: “The straw that broke the camel’s back was actually a stress test that I took in New York. The doctor advised me that my heart wasn’t in the kind of shape that I should be putting it under any stress.”
The actor previously told CNN interviewer Larry King that he had angioplasty surgery to heal his angina in the 1990s.
Angioplasty is a medical proecdure that restores blood flow to the heart muscle after the coronary arteries become blocked.
“I try to take care of myself,” he said at the time. “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.”
Hackman had three children – Christopher, Elizabeth and Leslie – with his first wife, Faye Maltese. The pair were married from 1956 to 1986. Maltese died in 2017.
