Gene Hackman’s health was declining before he and wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead, according to the late couple’s close friends.
Daniel Lenihan and Barbara Lenihan, who said they were friends with the Hollywood star and classical pianist for more than 30 years, told People Saturday that they described Hackman as “homebound.”
They further alleged to the outlet that in recent months, the 95-year-old was “really slipping there.”
Barbara said she noticed Hackman had “quit riding his bike through the neighborhood” about a year ago.
Her son, Aaron Lenihan, added that Arakawa, 65, did her best to try and keep her husband “as active and engaged and healthy as possible.”
Barbara claimed the pianist, for her part, was “in perfect health” and “was so fit,” noting she did what she could to keep her elderly spouse safe.
“She was very protective of him in terms of COVID, so she’d always wear a mask when we’d see her out,” the longtime pal added.
Another friend, Doug Lanham, also recently told TMZ that Arakawa kept Hackman on a “strict diet.”
One of the late Oscar winner’s three children, daughter Leslie Hackman, claimed to the Daily Mail this week that her dad was “in very good physical condition.”
“He liked to do Pilates and yoga, and he was continuing to do that several times a week,” she added to the outlet. “So, he was in good health.”
However, Leslie — who has admitted to not speaking to her dad for months — hinted at mental health issues in another interview with Us Weekly, claiming the “French Connection” star’s “memory was fading.”
It appears that Gene also had a heart condition, as he wore a pacemaker. Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza revealed the device tracked the actor’s “last event” on Feb. 17, nine days before he was found.
Not much is known about Arakawa’s health — aside from what the Lenihan family shared. However, a housekeeper for the late musician’s mother revealed the latter had grown distant from them recently.
“Betsy hadn’t called her mother in months,” Keiko — who cares for Arakawa’s 91-year-old mother, Yoshie Feaster, as she battles dementia — alleged to the Daily Mail.
“She usually called every one or two months. Last time she called was October. We were thinking, what happened?”
Police revealed in a search warrant affidavit that Arakawa was found dead Wednesday on the floor of a bathroom in her and Gene’s New Mexico home. Pills were scattered around a countertop, per the docs.
Mendoza said during a press conference that his office could not release details about those medications due to HIPAA laws, which protect a patient’s right to confidentiality.
However, he noted how important the medications are to their investigation, telling “Today,” “That’s obviously very important evidence.”
It’s unknown whether Arakawa had been dealing with mental health issues or an illness prior to her death.
CNN reported that several other medications were retrieved from the home, including Tylenol, a thyroid medication and Diltiazem, a calcium channel blocker used to treat high blood pressure or chest pain.
Gene was found dead in a separate room in the house, near the kitchen. He appeared to have suffered a fall, as his sunglasses were next to him.
Gene and Arakawa’s causes of death are pending official autopsy and toxicology results, which are set to be released within a few weeks, according to police.
However, Mendoza has said that it is his belief that the couple was deceased for “several days” or “a couple of weeks” before the authorities discovered them.
Preliminary autopsy reports showed that Gene and Arakawa had no signs of external trauma. They also tested “negative for carbon monoxide” poisoning, which was a theory family members speculated about.
Officials have said from very early on that no foul play is suspected, as there were no signs of forced entry on the property. A door was slightly ajar but two canines were roaming safe in another part of the house.
One dog was found dead inside of a crate or kennel in a closet, though. A pathologist Page Six spoke to theorized that the German Shepherd died from dehydration.
A spokesperson for the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office reiterated to Page Six Friday that there did not appear to have been any “criminal” activity at the scene, but nothing was “ruled out.”
