Who was Gene Hackman married to? Marriages explored as Oscar winner of ‘Superman’ fame dies at 95 

Retired veteran actor Gene Hackman passed away on February 26, 2025, at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, at the age of 95. He was discovered dead with his wife of 34 years Betsy Arakawa, 63, and their dog.

Gene Hackman had been married to classical pianist Betsy Arakawa since 1991, and the couple lived at their home in Santa Fe where they passed away. He was previously married to Faye Maltese.

Santa Fe County issued a statement, according to Ladbible, where they stated:

"We can confirm that both Gene Hackman and his wife were found deceased Wednesday afternoon at their residence on Sunset Trail. This is an active investigation - however, at this time we do not believe that foul play was a factor."

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Exploring the personal life of Gene Hackman in wake of his demise

Gene Hackman was married twice. His first wife was Faye Maltese (1929-2017) with whom he tied the knot in 1956. The couple divorced in 1986 after three decades of marriage. They shared three children, son Christopher Allen, and daughters Elizabeth Jean and Leslie Anne.

Hackman met Betsy Arakawa (1961-2025) while still being married to Maltese. At the time, Arakawa was working part-time at a fitness center in Los Angeles while training in classical music. She was from Hawaii and 32 years his junior. After 7 years of dating, the pair married in 1991. They did not have any kids but owned multiple German Shepherds over the years.

Together, they attended several public events in their hometown over the years while enjoying a quiet life away from the Hollywood limelight. Notably, Gene quit the entertainment industry in 2004.

Speaking to Empire in 2009, Gene Hackman said that he enjoyed his retirement by watching DVDs that his wife rented and having impromptu date nights.

“We like simple stories that some of the little low-budget films manage to produce,” he stated.

The veteran actor also told South Florida Sun-Sentinel in 1985 that he did not leave his “real-life wife for a younger woman,” like his character Harry Mackenzie in the movie Twice in a Lifetime.

“We just drifted apart. We lost sight of each other. When you work in this business, marriage takes a great deal of work and love,” he explained.

During an April 2024 article on the Superman actor, a source close to him told Closer Weekly that he was in “good health,” still rode his bicycles, did yard work, and was a “great handyman.”

The insider also added that after the “drama” of his career, he enjoyed his “peaceful” days with his wife. However, he wished he had been around more for his kids but was glad to be closer with them and his grandchildren in the recent years.

Around the same time last year, Hackman and Arakawa made a rare appearance in Santa Fe. He walked with a cane and was sighted leaving Pappadeaux's Seafood Kitchen post dinner while holding his wife’s hand, as per Daily Mail.

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Gene Hackman, who was born in January 1930, had a decades-long successful career in films, television, and stage that began in early 1960s and lasted till his retirement in 2004. He won two Academy Awards, the first for the 1971 movie The French Connection and the other for 1992 film Unforgiven.

However, he was best known for playing Lex Luthor in the original Superman movies alongside Christopher Reeve. Besides two Oscars, Gene Hackman also won two BAFTA Awards and four Golden Globes during his acting career. His final screen appearance was in the 2004 film, Welcome to Mooseport.

Gene Hackman also served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1947 to 1951 before joining Hollywood. He narrated two documentaries inspired from Marine Corps including The Unknown Flag Raiser of Iwo Jima (2016) and We, The Marines (2017).