“Caregivers Need Care Too”: Bruce Willis’s Wife Has Reflected On Gene Hackman And Betsy Arakawa’s Tragic Deaths Amid Bruce’s Dementia Diagnosis

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Last month, the sad news broke that beloved actor Gene Hackman, his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, and one of their pet dogs had been found dead in their Santa Fe home. Gene was 95 years old, and Betsy was 63. The two had been married since 1991.

Arakawa’s body was found on the floor of a bathroom on the ground floor of the residence, and an orange prescription bottle was close by with pills scattered on the countertop. The affidavit added that her body “showed obvious signs of death, body decomposition, bloating in her face, and mummification in both hands and feet.” Hackman’s body was found in a “similar” condition to his wife’s in what is thought to have been a mud room close to the kitchen. The deputies on the scene suspected that he had “suddenly fallen,” and sunglasses and a walking cane were located close to his body.

While Hackman and Arakawa’s bodies were found on Feb. 26, it was previously reported that Hackman had likely died on Feb. 18, as this was the last day any heart activity was recorded by his pacemaker. Arakawa, on the other hand, is thought to have died on Feb. 11, with Dr. Jarrell saying that her cause of death was hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare infectious disease carried by rodents that can cause flulike symptoms and affect the lungs and heart.

Officials have found no evidence that Hackman had communicated with anybody after Arakawa’s death, and could not determine if he would have been able to care for himself. Neurologist Dr. Brendan Kelley added that Alzheimer's disease can leave patients unable to act on their own emotional discomfort, including eating, sleeping, and bathing themselves.

For reference, Bruce was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2023, which is the most common form of dementia for people under 60. It came one year after the Emmy-winning actor was diagnosed with aphasia, which impacts somebody’s ability to understand or produce speech.

“The disease is what the disease is. And I think you have to be in real deep acceptance of what that is. But for where he's at, he is stable," she said at the 2024 Hamptons International Film Festival. “What I always encourage is to just meet them where they're at. When we're holding on to what was, I think it's a losing game.”

And in a new Instagram video, Emma has reflected on the fact that caring for somebody with dementia requires a lot of support. “This is not something I would normally comment on,” she began. “But I do really believe that there is some learning in this story in regards to the tragic passing of Mr and Mrs Hackman. It’s just made me think of this broader story, and that is that caregivers need care, too.”

“They are vital, and it is so important that we show up for them so that they can continue to show up for their person,” Emma continued. “I think that there's this common misconception that caregivers, they’ve got it figured out, they’ve got it covered, they're good — I don't subscribe to that.”

You can watch Emma’s full video below:

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