The tragic news of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, being found dead in their apartment home in February has gained much public and media attention. Amidst this, Arakawa’s mom, Yoshie Feaster, stated that she would like to "grieve in peace" and hopes the photos of the deceased's body and home are not released to the public.
In court documents obtained by People Magazine on Monday, Arokawa's mother, Yoshie Feaster, is reportedly opposing the release of the police body cam footage that contains images of the deceased to the public.
I humbly come before this court to request that this court respect my right to grieve in peace and find that I have a constitutional right to avoid seeing images of my daughter's home, her dead body, her husband's dead body, and their dog's corpse.
Feaster, who reportedly suffers from dementia, continued that
This right should be extended to protect against the release of the autopsy photos and autopsy reports of my daughter. This right should extend to permit me to control the physical remains of my daughter, her memory, and images of her deceased body...
Feaster shared concerns over the possibility that the photos, in case it is released, will end up online and on other media platforms and shared that she will be forced to "relive" her daughter's "last few days a countless number of times." She also shared that she cannot even imagine the trauma of having the images released.
People magazine further reported that a judge on Monday ruled that although video and other media related to the death of Gene and Betsy Hackman that come under the New Mexico public records law can be released, the bodies of the deceased should either be edited or blurred out. The ruling comes after Hackman's estate sought to block the release of autopsy and investigative reports, including photos and body cam footage.
Gene Hackman is considered one of the greatest actors of his time and is a two-time Oscar winner, and his wife, Betsy Arakawa-Hackman, is an American classical pianist and businesswoman. The couple were found dead in their New Mexico home on Feb 26, 2025.
Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their apartment in February 2025.
On February 26, 2025, actor Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 65, and their dog, Zinna, were found dead at their home in Santa Fe Summit, New Mexico. Weeks after their death, in March, the couple's cause of death was revealed.
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According to multiple reports, Betsy Arakawa died from a flu-like virus called Hantavirus, and a week later, Gene Hackman passed away, presumably due to severe heart disease as well as complications of Alzheimer's disease. Their dog, Zinna, possibly died of dehydration and starvation. A New York Post citing Santa Fe Sheriff Adan Mendoza reported at the time that it is likely that Hackman was dead at least nine days before the couple's corpses were found.
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