Gene Hackman dead at 95: Iconic actor and wife, 63, are found dead with their dog at Santa Fe home. #2

[JDG]

2 phones found

Likely both belonging to BA.

 

[Sunshynn]

Likely both belonging to BA.

I don't know...
My 86 year old maternal grandmother and 87 year old paternal grandmother both text and Facebook message regularly.
MOO.

 

[Izzylizzy]

A friend said that BA rarely used the phone and communicated by email.

“They were very private, and we certainly respected that,” Barbara told CNN, adding that Arakawa rarely used cell phones and would usually communicate by email."

https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/02/us/gene-hackman-betsy-arakawa-santa-fe/index.html

 

[NuttMegg]

A friend said that BA rarely used the phone and communicated by email.

“They were very private, and we certainly respected that,” Barbara told CNN, adding that Arakawa rarely used cell phones and would usually communicate by email."

https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/02/us/gene-hackman-betsy-arakawa-santa-fe/index.html

So she communicated via PC? And we know GH didn't how?

 

[NCWatcher]

I'm guessing they will autopsy the deceased dog. They definitely should. It's hard to believe a healthy dog the size of a GSD would just stay in a crate for days and days and die. No mention of the condition of the crate. I have had malamutes destroy a crate to get out of it when there.was a reason. A 50lb female Samoyed also, tear up a Kong crate which are supposed to be heavy duty. This is another mystery. Was that dog sick, drugged, or was it already deceased before the couple died.

I expect there will be a necropsy. But I'm not as sure as you that any large dog would break out of a crate. I think it would depend on the dog and the crate type. For example, thick plastic airline crates might be hard to chew out of-- especially if the dog WAS crate-trained, was older (supposedly was 10 according to the trainer) and the dog didn't start trying to break out immediately after BA died. By the time the dog got desperate to get out, he/she might have been weak.
MOO

 

[Izzylizzy]

I have a feeling Gene wouldn't have completely disliked going out as an enigma.
With one of those little smiles he was so good at.

I think both Gene & Betsy would be horrified at the invasion of privacy with the 24/7 media coverage of the condition LE found their remains in no less under what circumstances.
imo

 

[Sunshynn]

I think both Gene & Betsy would be horrified at the invasion of privacy with the 24/7 media coverage of the condition LE found their remains in no less under what circumstances.

I agree.
For a notoriously private couple who lived out their later years away peacefully away from the limelight to have their deaths play out so publicly would probably be horrific to them.
Equally horrific to them would be the fact that - though it remains to be seen - their deaths might have resulted in the tragic ending of one of their beloved pets.
JMO

 

[Cherwell]

A thought about phones.( I much prefer to use email as then I have a record of what has been said, which has been a blessing after a couple of disputes.)
But whether or not we use smartphones much to make calls, we are increasingly forced to use them to receive codes for two-step validations and other security issues. It's getting difficult to cope without one, eg many promoters no longer issue paper tickets for events but send them to your phone. And so on.

 

[ttjo]

I agree.
For a notoriously private couple who lived out their later years away peacefully away from the limelight to have their deaths play out so publicly would probably be horrific to them.
Equally horrific to them would be the fact that - though it remains to be seen - their deaths might have resulted in the tragic ending of one of their beloved pets.
JMO

its all the negative speculation they would be mortified at. There is nothing written or said by anyone, to indicate they were anything but a very close and loving couple. That his relationship with his kids was fine. Yet I read some channels that are making clickbait headlines they should be ashamed of.

 

[JDG]

I don't know...
My 86 year old maternal grandmother and 87 year old paternal grandmother both text and Facebook message regularly.
MOO.

I didn’t mean anyone cannot USE a phone but I know a number of folk who OWN multiple phones.

 

[keek]

I agree.
For a notoriously private couple who lived out their later years away peacefully away from the limelight to have their deaths play out so publicly would probably be horrific to them.
Equally horrific to them would be the fact that - though it remains to be seen - their deaths might have resulted in the tragic ending of one of their beloved pets.
JMO

A reminder that your life is never as private as you would like, no control over it when something like this happens, awful.

 

[ClearAhead]

That’s beautiful! toe-ld… too funny

That story of the photo is a true indication of Gene Hackman’s artistic talent. An ordinary pose just wouldn’t do it.

 

[ttjo]

I didn’t mean anyone cannot USE a phone but I know a number of folk who OWN multiple phones.

Everyone is different, My mom refuses to have a smart phone, or learn how to turn on Netflix on a smart tv, or use a debit machine. She likes it the way it was when she could do everything for herself. Seriously how automated everything is these days, who has the patience. press 1, 2, 8 for this 9 for that. It bothers me because I wonder if they consider there are seniors that are used to the yellow pages and speaking to a live person for customer support.
Gene was an actor, a famous one, probably had assistant's. Technology changes faster than people do.

 

[slowpoke]

I don't know...
My 86 year old maternal grandmother and 87 year old paternal grandmother both text and Facebook message regularly.
MOO.

That’s great! My dad lived to 98, but sadly had deteriorating health issues that prevented him from continuing to operate a phone in the last years. But until that happened, he was great at creating fun PowerPoints on his pc that he’d send me, then talking and texting on a flip phone. He wanted to move up to a smartphone, but by then his glaucoma had gotten so bad he had trouble with even the flip phone, plus dementia became a factor, as well in figuring out how to use it.

All this to say, that Mr. Hackman was about 5 years younger than my dad, so I think he could very well have had the ability to use and therefore have a cell phone of his own if his health allowed it. JMO

 

[Fabled Automatic]

It's sounding like Gene's health may not have been as "good" as his daughter stated. From family friends of the couple:

On Friday, Feb. 28, the couple’s family friends, married couple Daniel and Barbara Lenihan and their son, Aaron, spoke exclusively to PEOPLE about their friendship with the couple for over thirty years. The family also revealed that Hackman’s health had declined in recent months.

Daniel explained that “in recent times,” Hackman was “essentially kind of home-bound.” Barbara clarified that around a year ago, Hackman had "quit riding his bike through the neighborhood.”

Source

 

[JDG]

Everyone is different, My mom refuses to have a smart phone, or learn how to turn on Netflix, or use a debit machine. She likes it the way it was when she could do everything for herself. Seriously how automated everything is these days, who has the patience. press 1, 2, 8 for this 9 for that. It bothers me because I wonder if they consider there are seniors that are used to the yellow pages and speaking to a live person for customer support.
Gene was an actor, a famous one, probably had assistant's. Technology changes faster than people do.

Well, those who fail to keep up will just miss out.

I’m rather vintage myself but really appreciate the time saved by technology.

At first, it wasn’t comfortable, telephone banking was my ‘fear factor’.

Companies won’t pay people to do customer service when they can do it automatically.

The place I purchase groceries from uses robots to fill orders.

Please encourage her to learn the new ways, answer any questions and show her how to do various things.

It can be a huge adjustment but then you are set free.

I hope Gene Hackman was able to use technology, seems he used Zoom for his classes, a good indication he knew a fair bit about computers.

 

[ttjo]

Well, those who fail to keep up will just miss out.

I’m rather vintage myself but really appreciate the time saved by technology.

At first, it wasn’t comfortable, telephone banking was my ‘fear factor’.

Companies won’t pay people to do customer service when they can do it automatically.

The place I purchase groceries from uses robots to fill orders.

Please encourage her to learn the new ways, answer any questions and show her how to do various things.

It can be a huge adjustment but then you are set free.

I agree, because guess who has to pick up the slack...lol
Its ok, she just doesn't want to learn, what can you do? She was also very pampered in her life. Sometimes I think that's a disservice, because they don't want to learn new things.

 

[priyaya]

so just checked and looks like their house gets full verizon coverage for cell service despite being isolated.

I was wondering if maybe cell phone service was inconsistent but looks pretty solid and consistent in the area
source

 

[Cherwell]

Don't forget that loss of dexterity makes it harder to do things on a phone keyboard, and personally I'd far rather use a big laptop screen than a tiny phone screen.

 

[Sunshynn]

New Report Sheds Light On What Happened To Gene Hackman's Dogs

USA Today offers new information about the actor’s surviving pets and the deceased dog found in his residence.

www.huffpost.com

I don't know if Joey Padilla (the owner of the Dog Daycare where the two surviving dogs have been taken) spoke about something that wasn't completely true or if he has been told not to speak further about the closed or open crate.

BBM

"Padilla said that the dog who died was Zinna, a 12-year-old reddish Australian Kelpie mix, who had once trained in agility skills to compete at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. He said that Zinna was found in her crate with the door closed...
HuffPost reached out to Padilla for clarification on the information he gave to USA Today, as well as whether Zinna’s kennel was closed and locked.
In response to the inquiry, Padilla sent a statement via email saying that he “will not be making any other statements or answering any direct questions.”
“Betsy and Gene were incredible dog parents. They knew the importance of good training, a healthy diet and socialization. There was nothing they wouldn’t do for the well-being of their dogs,” Padilla wrote, noting he was “very saddened to hear of Zinna’s passing.”
“She was always attached to Betsy at the hip and it was a beautiful relationship to watch flourish over the years. Zinna went from being a returned shelter dog to this incredible companion under Betsy’s hand.”"