Gene Hackman’s daughters were seen in public just a day after learning of their father’s passing, with one of them admitting they hadn’t spoken to him in months.
The 95-year-old Hollywood icon and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 64, were discovered partially mummified in separate rooms of their $3.3 million Santa Fe mansion on Wednesday afternoon.
While the official cause of death has not been determined, a new theory suggests Hackman may have suffered a sudden fall, as his sunglasses and walking cane were found near his body.
Authorities have already completed autopsies on both Hackman and Arakawa, revealing no signs of external trauma. Though the examinations were finalized early Thursday morning, officials are still awaiting full results, including toxicology reports, and have not provided any further details.
Now, exclusive photos obtained by DailyMail.com show Hackman’s daughters, Elizabeth and Leslie, entering a Denny’s restaurant on Thursday.
The sisters, who described their father as “reclusive” but in good health prior to his passing, appeared to be coping well and even managed to smile as they left the diner.
Leslie and Elizabeth were spotted stepping out of a gray SUV before walking into the Burbank, California, location of the all-day breakfast chain.
Speaking to DailyMail.com on Thursday, Leslie said the family was still waiting for answers regarding their father’s cause of death and was processing the shocking news.
The 59-year-old revealed that “there was no indication that there was any problem” before her father’s passing.
“Despite his age, he was in very good physical condition,” Leslie stated, noting that he had not undergone any major surgeries in recent months.
She and Elizabeth speculated that their father and stepmother may have succumbed to toxic fumes from a carbon monoxide leak.
However, Santa Fe City Fire personnel and the New Mexico Gas Company tested the couple’s home after the bodies were found, determining that the air was safe and ruling out carbon monoxide poisoning.
Leslie emphasized that Hackman had been maintaining his health leading up to his death, sharing that “he liked to do Pilates and yoga, and he was continuing to do that several times a week.”
Still, she admitted that his passing, while tragic, was “not terribly shocking because he was 95.”
Since she resides in California, Leslie said it had been “a few months” since she last saw or spoke to her father, though they remained close.
“We were close. I hadn’t talked to them for a couple months, but everything was normal and everything was good,” she said.
Leslie also stated that she planned to travel to New Mexico once she received more information from the police.
“We need to wait and find out whatever information from the police. We weren’t expecting to have to go out there and go through the house and all that,” she explained.
“So we have some work cut out for us. But yeah, we’ll be going out to New Mexico.”
The family released a statement on Thursday afternoon, expressing their profound grief over Hackman’s passing.
“He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career,” the statement read. “But to us, he was always just Dad and Grandpa.
“We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss.”
They are still waiting for updates from the authorities to determine exactly what happened and when the couple passed away.
Hackman and Arakawa’s bodies were found by two maintenance workers, Roland Lowe Begay and Jesse Kesler, who informed investigators they had not seen the couple for two weeks.
Their identities were not officially disclosed for nearly 12 hours, and new details about the discovery may help explain the delay.
A detective noted in a search warrant that “the death of the two deceased individuals to be suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation.”
Arakawa was discovered lying on her right side on the bathroom floor, with an open prescription bottle and scattered pills on a nearby countertop.
Authorities have not disclosed what the pills were or whether they were prescribed to Hackman or his wife.
In a distressing 911 call, a frantic male caller was heard telling dispatchers that he had found two unresponsive bodies, desperately pleading for help.
According to TMZ, the caller—whose identity was redacted—was overcome with emotion and repeatedly exclaimed “Damn” while sniffing back tears.
An affidavit supporting a search warrant revealed that both bodies showed signs of decomposition and were partially mummified.
Investigators believe Hackman and Arakawa may have been dead in their home for up to two weeks.
