- New details have emerged about a suspected stalker who reportedly followed Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, on multiple occasions. Her hairstylist revealed Arakawa’s concerns about the man, who approached them with photos and knew their car details.
- The Hackman estate filed a petition to block the release of body camera footage, citing privacy concerns over public interest.
- Arakawa died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, while Hackman passed away from cardiovascular disease, with advanced Alzheimer’s as a contributing factor.
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The death of actor Gene Hackman and his wife is making headlines again. This time, it’s because of new details about a suspected stalker.
According to a new Fox News Digital report, a man may have followed Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, on more than one occasion before their deaths.
Hairstylist describes alarming encounters
A hairstylist named Christopher told police that Arakawa confided in him about a man who parked outside the couple’s gated home and followed them.
“She mentioned to me that there was a man that had parked outside of their gate and followed them,” Christopher told law enforcement. “On two separate occasions. One occasion is when they went to White Rock. They went and had lunch there, and the guy followed them from parked [outside of their gated community], followed them all the way to White Rock.”
Arakawa noticed the car had followed them from home to the restaurant. Christopher said she was surprised that security hadn’t flagged it.
“She said, ‘Christopher, I’m surprised that security didn’t [know] how he got there … because when we left, I noticed that this car had followed us from the residence to White Rock,’” Christopher told police.
The man approached them with photos
Christopher also told police the man had a folder filled with photos of Gene Hackman and asked for autographs.
“I said, ‘That’s so weird because Santa Fe’s not a place of paparazzi,’” Christopher recalled.
Arakawa told him she confronted the man, saying he needed to “have more respect.”
On another occasion, the man offered them a bottle of wine, which they declined. That’s when Christopher said he got really nervous — the man knew what kind of car they drove.
Legal battle over footage
The Gene Hackman stalker case has also prompted legal action. On March 13, a lawyer for the Hackman estate filed a petition in state district court in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The goal was to stop the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office and the medical investigator from releasing body camera footage.
Attorney Kurt Sommer argued that the couple’s right to privacy outweighed public interest.
“Once the images are released,” he wrote, “the bell cannot be unrung.”
Official causes of death
Betsy Arakawa reportedly died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome about a week before her husband, though the exact timeline has not been publicly confirmed. The rare respiratory disease spreads through contact with infected rodent droppings, urine or saliva.
Gene Hackman’s official cause of death included hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with advanced Alzheimer’s disease listed as a contributing factor.
