Gene Hackman’s daughter hadn't spoken to him in months but insists he was in 'good health' before he died

SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO: Hollywood is mourning the loss of one of its greatest legends, Gene Hackman, and now his youngest daughter is shedding light on his final months.
Leslie Anne Hackman, 58, opened up on Thursday, February 27, about her father’s health leading up to his sudden passing, revealing that she “hadn’t talked” to him or his wife, Betsy Arakawa, in a “couple of months” before their tragic deaths.

Despite their lack of contact, she insisted the Oscar-winning actor was “in very good physical condition” before he died.
The 95-year-old 'Unforgiven' star, his wife Betsy, 65, and one of their three dogs were discovered dead inside their Santa Fe, New Mexico, home on Wednesday. A maintenance worker raised the alarm after being unable to reach them, leading to the heartbreaking discovery.
Hackman—known for iconic roles in 'The French Connection' and 'Birdcage'—married the classical pianist in 1991, a love story that lasted over three decades.
Leslie Hackman offers insight into her father's final days
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Leslie Hackman shared that the family is still trying to process the news as they wait for official confirmation about the cause of death.
While nothing is certain yet, Leslie and her older sister, Elizabeth Jean Hackman, 63, have a strong hunch about what might have happened. They admitted their best guess is that it was a carbon monoxide leak.

Despite his advanced age, Leslie noted that there were no warning signs of declining health before his death. “There was no indication that there was any problem,” she said. “Despite his age, he was in very good physical condition.”
According to Leslie, the legendary thespian was dedicated to staying active. “He liked to do Pilates and yoga, and he was continuing to do that several times a week,” she shared, before adding that he had not undergone any major surgeries in recent months.
“So he was in good health,” she continued, before acknowledging, “It’s not terribly shocking because he was 95.”
Leslie, the youngest of Hackman’s three children—whom he shared with his ex-wife Faye Maltese—admitted that she hadn’t seen her father or stepmother in a “few months” due to living in California, hundreds of miles away from New Mexico.
“We were close,” she shared, before confessing, “I hadn’t talked to them for a couple months, but everything was normal, and everything was good.”
Leslie couldn’t praise her stepmother enough. “They had a wonderful marriage. And I give credit to his wife, Betsy, for keeping him alive,” she said. “[Betsy] took very, very good care of him and was always looking out for his health,” she continued. “So I am appreciative to her for that, and I’m very saddened by her passing.”
Leslie is now preparing to make the trip to New Mexico to gather more information from the Santa Fe police. “We need to wait and find out whatever information from the police,” she explained. “We weren’t expecting to have to go out there and go through the house and all that.”
As for what comes next, Leslie added, “So we have some work cut out for us. But yeah, we’ll be going out to New Mexico.”
A family statement and a mystery that remains
Earlier on Thursday, Leslie, Elizabeth, and Hackman’s granddaughter, Annie, released a statement to the New York Post confirming the tragic news.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman, and his wife, Betsy,” they shared. “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.”
The statement concluded, “We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss.”
While authorities have stated there were “no apparent signs of foul play” in their deaths, questions still linger.
According to a police affidavit, officers found the door to the couple’s multimillion-dollar home “unsecured and opened” with no sign of forced entry or theft. However, the document did note that the circumstances were “suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation.”
A troubling detail emerged from the report -- an open orange prescription pill bottle and scattered pills were found in the room where Arakawa and the deceased dog were discovered.
Autopsies have been completed on both Hackman and Arakawa, with carbon monoxide and toxicology tests requested, according to the sheriff’s press release. There were no signs of external trauma, but the investigation remains open as authorities await official toxicology results, according to the outlet.