There’s been an outpouring of sympathy online after it was revealed actor Gene Hackman and his wife died one week apart – and many have pointed to one heartbreaking detail in particular

Many people have taken to social media to share their heartbreak surrounding the death of American actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa – and about one detail in particular.

On Friday (March 7), authorities in New Mexico in the US revealed the cause of death of the Hollywood star and his wife – who he had been married to since 1991. Dr Heather Jarrell, Chief Medical Examiner for New Mexico at the office of the Medical Investigator, explained in a detailed press conference that Betsy most likely died first and Gene had died a week later – with his pacemaker last recording heart activity on February 18.

It was revealed Betsy, 65, died of hantavirus, pulmonary syndrome, a rare infectious disease carried by different types of rodents. The cause of death of Gene, 95, was identified as “hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer’s disease as a significant contributory factor.” One of Gene and Betsy’s pets, Zinna, was also found dead at the property last month.

The dog had been receiving treatment at a local veterinary practice and was retrieved by Betsy on the last day she was seen in public, February 11. People on social media platform, X, have reacted to the news.

Pop Base shared a photo of the couple with the caption: “Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa both died of natural causes, authorities say. Betsy died first from Hantavirus. A week later, Hackman died of cardiovascular disease with Alzheimer’s as a contributing factor.”

Users were quick to voice their thoughts, with the post garnering 377 comments, at the time of writing. Several people pointed out the tragic detail that Gene was at home for a week with his deceased wife and dog.

In the press conference, Dr Jarrell shared that Gene was “in an advanced state of Alzheimer’s, and it’s quite possible that he was not aware that she was deceased.“ One X user said: “So he was walking around the house with no idea his wife and dog were dead.“ Another added: “Everyone saying it’s weird he lived there for a week while she was dead really has no idea how Alzheimer’s works.”

The NHS has highlighted Alzheimer’s as the main cause of dementia in the UK, a condition which can affect memory, thinking skills and other mental abilities. As Alzheimer’s progresses, memory problems become more severe and further symptoms develop, including confusion, disorientation and getting lost in familiar places, hallucinations and difficulty planning or making decisions.

Someone familiar with Alzheimer’s commented: “Very sad but people with this disease can be confused. Some will look around the house for a loved one that has died. I knew someone who did that. Tragedy.”