Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakwa | Source: Getty Images
Gene Hackman’s mother-in-law has filed legal documents to prevent the public release of police body camera footage related to the investigation into the late actor’s death. Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead last month in their New Mexico home.
Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa attend the DW Griffith Awards in New York on February 24, 1992 | Source: Getty Images
Arakwa’s mother, Yoshie Feaster, argues that releasing the footage would cause further emotional distress. She believes the intense media coverage has already been overwhelming and wants to grieve privately.
According to legal filings obtained by TMZ, Yoshie emphasized that both Hackman and Arakawa valued personal privacy throughout their lives.
Betsy Arakawa and Gene Hackman attend the Thalians Ball honoring Liza Minnelli at the Century Plaza Hotel in California on October 8, 1994 | Source: Getty Images
Feaster fears that media access to photos and videos of the couple’s home and bodies would violate their wishes. In the documents, Feaster is equally adamant that images of the couple’s dog, which was also found at the scene, should not be made public.
Citing her right to privacy, Feaster is asking the court to block the release of body cam footage, autopsy photos, and related reports. She maintains that seeing or exposing such images would not only be traumatic but also a violation of her constitutional rights.
