However, following his Irish exit, he dove into another art: writing novels. \u201cI like the loneliness of it, actually. It\u2019s similar in some ways to acting, but it\u2019s more private and I feel like I have more control over what I\u2019m trying to say and do,” he explained. “There\u2019s always a compromise in acting and in film, you work with so many people and everyone has an opinion. … I don\u2019t know that I like it better than acting, it\u2019s just different. I find it relaxing and comforting.\u201d<\/p>\n
Although he appreciated the “loneliness” of writing, Gene was far from alone. He enjoyed a 30+ year union<\/a> with his wife, Betsy Arakawa<\/strong>. However, their lives were cut short in February 2025 when the spouses, and their dog, were found dead in their New Mexico home.<\/p>\n Read on to learn all there is to know about their relationship, as well as Gene’s previous marriage to his first wife, Faye Maltese<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Betsy Arakawa was a retired classical pianist. She was born in Hawaii and was 65 when she died, per the AP.<\/p>\n Gene and Betsy were rarely seen in public<\/a>, and according to a person close to the sweet couple, they enjoyed their low-key life away from the spotlight in their Santa Fe, N.M. home. \u201cHis health is good, he still bicycles, does yard work and he\u2019s a great handyman,\u201d the insider told Closer Weekly<\/em><\/a> in 2020. \u201cAfter all the drama of Gene\u2019s career, he loves the peaceful life he shares with the lovely Betsy.\u201d<\/p>\n The Golden Globe<\/a> Award-winning actor and the musician met at a fitness center in Los Angeles where Betsy was working as a part-time employee, per Closer Weekly<\/em><\/a>. Gene\u2019s divorce from his first wife, Faye Maltese<\/strong>, was still pending when they met. Their marriage lasted from 1956 to 1986. Gene and Betsy reportedly began dating in 1984 and walked down the aisle in 1991.<\/p>\n Gene told Empire<\/em><\/a> in 2020 that he and Betsy liked to watch DVDs together. “We like simple stories that some of the little low-budget films manage to produce,” he said. “Friday night is set aside for a Comedy Channel marathon, with particular attention paid to Eddie Izzard. “he speed of thought is amazing,”<\/p>\n Gene and Betsy don’t have biological children together, but Gene had three kids<\/a> with\u00a0Faye: Leslie Anne<\/strong>, Elizabeth Jean<\/strong>, and Christopher Allen<\/strong>. He previously admitted he was not always a present parent due to his job. “I lost touch with my son in terms of advice early on,” he told GQ<\/em> <\/a>magazine in 2011. “Maybe it had to do with being gone so much, doing location films when he was at an age where he needed support and guidance. It was very tough for me to be gone for three months and then come home and start bossing him around.”<\/p>\n Gene was married to his first wife from 1956 to 1986. Gene told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel<\/em><\/a> in 1985 that he didn’t “leave” Faye for Betsy. “By the way, I did not leave my real-life wife for a younger woman. We just drifted apart,” the actor said. “We lost sight of each other. When you work in this business, marriage takes a great deal of work and love.”<\/p>\n As previously mentioned, Gene and Faye had three children together before they divorced. Faye sadly passed away on April 26, 2017 at the age of 88.<\/p>\n![\"Gene](\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/gene-hackman-wife-embed.jpg?quality=100&resize=620%2C948\")
Who Is Betsy Arakawa?<\/h2>\n
How Did Gene And Betsy Meet?<\/h2>\n
![\"Gene](\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/gene-hackman-Betsy-Arakawa-wife-ss-embed-11.jpg?resize=620%2C860\")
Do Gene And Betsy Have Kids?<\/h2>\n
Gene’s Ex-Wife Faye Maltese<\/h2>\n
How Did Gene & Betsy Die?<\/h2>\n