“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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On Friday, it was confirmed that Betsy died a week before Gene, and it was "quite possible that he was not aware” of her death or able to care for himself as a result of advanced Alzheimer’s.
BuzzFeed Staff
At the time, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said that authorities did not believe “foul play was a factor” in the deaths, and initially, it was widely speculated that the couple may have died due to carbon monoxide poisoning. However, it was later confirmed that Santa Fe City Fire Department had not found any evidence of a leak in the property.
The search warrant affidavit also revealed that Hackman and Arakawa’s bodies were found after two maintenance workers for the gated community where they lived called 911, and that nobody had seen the couple for two weeks. When officers arrived, the door to the residence was ajar but there were no signs of forced entry.
It was later confirmed that the dead dog was found in a crate in the bathroom closet, and two healthy dogs were also on the property — one inside the home and another outside.
The affidavit requested a “thorough search and investigation” into Hackman and Arakawa’s deaths, and on Friday, the tragic details of Hackman’s final days were shared in a press conference with the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator's chief medical examiner, Dr. Heather Jarrell.
Authorities also identified the deceased dog as Zinna, and said that the pet had been picked up from a veterinary hospital on Feb. 9 following a procedure, which could be why it was being kept in a crate in the couple’s home.
Dr. Jarrell also shed some light on Hackman’s heartbreaking final week of life, saying that due to his advanced Alzheimer’s, it is "quite possible that he was not aware that she [his wife] was deceased.”
"A person might feel worried or frightened, but at the same time, they might not be capable to take the actions that you or I might normally think to do in order to alleviate that worry or concern, such as calling somebody else, or going to speak to a neighbor,” he explained.
Needless to say, many were left devastated by this update as they reflected on the fear, confusion, and discomfort that Hackman must have felt before he died.
And now, Bruce Willis’s wife, Emma Heming Willis, has issued an emotional statement calling for people to look out for caregivers like Arakawa.
Bruce’s family previously explained that the dementia impacts his ability to communicate, and in October, his ex-wife, Demi Moore, shared an update on how he is doing.
The couple split in 2000 but have maintained a close friendship, in part due to their shared children.
“I think that we need to be showing up for them so that they can continue to show up for their person,” she concluded, adding in the post’s caption: “Caregivers need care too. Period. Full stop.”
Emma was widely praised for her statement, and Bruce and Demi’s daughter Tallulah Willis was among the people to show their support in the video’s comments, where she simply wrote: “I love you so much.”
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