Gene Hackman's friend claims he would have died 'long ago' without his wife Betsy Arakawa's care

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Gene Hackman would not have lived as long as he did without the constant care of his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, the Oscar-winning actor's longtime friend, Tom Allin, told The New York Times in an interview published on Saturday, March 8.

Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 65, were discovered dead in their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, along with their pet dog, on February 26, according to the Daily Mail.

Autopsy reports suggested Arakawa died on February 11 due to a hantavirus infection, which is caused by exposure to an infected rodent's feces, saliva, or urine. Hackman apparently died a week later, on February 18, and may not have been aware of his wife's death on account of having advanced Alzheimer's disease.

Tom Allin recalls Betsy Arakawa being 'very protective' of Gene Hackman

In an interview with The NYT, Tom Allin claimed that Gene Hackman would have died "long ago" without Betsy Arakawa taking care of him.

"She was very protective of him," Allin insisted, noting that the actor was apparently comfortable to have his wife in charge of running things.

In his friendship with the star that spanned more than two decades, Allin shared that it was Arakawa who set up Hackman's golf dates and visits from friends over email or on the phone, as 'The French Connection' star was not interested in technology.

He also remembered Arakawa mixing soda water into Hackman's wine and making sure he ate healthy, adding, "She just really looked after him."

Betsy Arakawa looked after Gene Hackman all by herself

Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa were married for over three decades. They met at a fitness center in Los Angeles, where Arakawa was working part-time in the mid-1980s, and got hitched in 1991 despite their 30-year age gap.

In their final days, Arakawa single-handedly took care of her ailing husband, as the couple were "essentially kind of homebound" because of Hackman's Alzheimer's, friends Daniel and Barbara Lenihan told People.

Arakawa reportedly tried to keep Hackman busy with activities such as puzzles and online yoga classes. Daniel and Barbara's son, Aaron, told the publication, "They seemed like real life partners, really, really close to each other, and they were both incredibly kind. They were reserved, but they were real, (and) a lot of fun."