Gene Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa-Hackman, who was initially believed to have passed away around Feb. 11 from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, reportedly was unaware of the seriousness of her illness in her final days. In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Dr. Josiah Child, a physician at Cloudberry Health where Betsy had contacted on Feb. 12 based on phone records, revealed that the late classical pianist did not show symptoms of hantavirus at first.
According to Dr. Child, Betsy had scheduled an initial visit at Cloudberry Health on the 12th but called on the 10th to cancel citing her husband’s illness. On the 12th, she sought advice for congestion without other symptoms. Despite a scheduled appointment, Betsy did not attend, and subsequent attempts to reach her were unsuccessful.
The Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department disclosed that Betsy’s last cellphone activity was on Feb. 12, contradicting the initial assumption of her passing on the 11th. Dr. Child mentioned that had they known about Betsy’s medical condition, they would have been more proactive in following up.
Dr. Child noted that Betsy seemed to be unaware of the severity of her illness and may have been preoccupied with her husband or the rapid progression of the disease. Despite seeking advice for her symptoms, she did not fully grasp the seriousness of her condition as the hantavirus affected her lungs.
Betsy Arakawa-Hackman’s lack of awareness of her deteriorating health was evident in her interactions with the medical practice, as she underestimated the severity of her illness.
The New Mexico Department of Health confirmed a case of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a disease transmitted from animals to humans, commonly found in rodents. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, cough, vomiting, diarrhea, and can progress to breathing difficulties, heart failure, and lung failure, as explained by Chief Medical Investigator Dr. Heather Jarrell during a news conference.
Gene Hackman’s cause of death was confirmed by New Mexico officials as hypertensive atherosclerosis cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer’s disease as a significant contributing factor. He was alone in his home for about a week until his passing around February 18th, the last recorded activity on his pacemaker.
A temporary restraining order was granted to the Hackman estate on Monday, preventing the release of records related to Gene and Betsy’s deaths. The order restricts the disclosure of photographs or videos depicting the bodies of Gene and Betsy, as well as the interior of their residence. Additionally, any lapel video footage, including images of deceased animals at the property, is also included in the order.
The Office of the Medical Investigator is prohibited from disclosing autopsy and death reports, with a hearing scheduled for March 31. Tracy Wright from Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
