Gene Hackman and Wife Betsy Arakawa Died With Major Credit Card Debt, Surrounded by Junk in Home

Beloved actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were saddled with credit card debt at the time of their tragic deaths in February — and their sprawling New Mexico home was stuffed to the gills with junk, sources say.

The 95-year-old French Connection legend owed almost $100,000 to Citibank, and Arakawa, 65, racked up a bill topping $4,300 with Bank of America, according to Us Weekly, which obtained court documents filed by both businesses to recoup the money.

As Globe previously reported, Hackman died from Alzheimer’s and heart disease roughly seven days after his wife of 34 years succumbed to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome — a rare illness contracted through contact with infected rats or their urine, saliva or droppings.

Doctors who had not treated the couple previously told Globe that Hackman likely wandered his residence helpless and incoherent after his caregiver spouse died.

As Globe also reported, state officials determined that Hackman’s secluded Santa Fe property — infested with live rodents and littered with dead rats, and the pests’ nests and excrement — was a “breeding ground” for hantavirus.

The bodies of the two-time Academy Award winner and his pianist wife were discovered by a maintenance worker nearly two weeks after their passing.

According to Daily Mail, Hackman’s fortune is worth some $80 million. But sources say his will names Arakawa as the sole beneficiary and fails to mention his three adult children, who were rumored to be estranged from their father.

However, insiders who spoke exclusively to Globe say that Hackman’s kids will inherit his estate, but are at odds over whether to bulldoze the house and sell the land — or keep it in memory of their dad.

“I’ve heard there’s been some friction,” says a former local, who adds that Hackman’s home was filled with “rotting clothing” and “junk” that made it nearly impossible to navigate.

The insider confides that the hermit-like duo were “like hoarders” in their final years.

The source adds, “That’s part of the reason why Betsy didn’t get a housekeeper or a full-time nurse for Gene. I’ve heard she was ashamed, given the condition of the property — but couldn’t bring herself to fix the situation in time.”