Bruce Willis’ wife Emma shares important message in response to tragic Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa deaths

Emma Heming Willis has spoken out about the realities of being a carer following the deaths of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa.

Hackman, 95, died of natural causes about a week after his wife and main carer Arakawa, 65, died after contracting hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a rare virus, a New Mexico medical investigator said.

The couple had been married for more than 30 years. Hackman was in the advanced stages of Alzheumer’s disease, as well as ‘significant’ heart disease and chronic high blood pressure.

Betsy Arakawa and Gene Hackman died days apart (Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage/Getty)

Officials said Hackman may not have been ‘aware’ that his wife ‘was deceased’.

Emma Willis, 46, is the caregiver for her husband of 15 years, who was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2023 after his family confirmed in March the previous year he had a condition called aphasia, which impacts a person’s ability to communicate verbally and in writing.

The wife of the Die Hard star, 69, discussed the realities of being a carer in response to Hackman and Arakawa’s deaths. "This is not something I would normally comment on, but I do really believe that there is some learning in this story," she said in an Instagram post.

“It's just made me think of this broader story, and that is that caregivers need care too and that they are vital."

"It is so important that we show up for them so that they can continue to show up for their person," she continued. "I think that there's this common misconception that, like caregivers, they got it figured out, they got it covered. They're good. I don't subscribe to that."

She emphasised that carers also need support, ‘so that they can continue to show up for their person’.

Willis, who shares daughters Mabel, 12, and Evelyn, 10, with Bruce previously wrote about the importance of giving herself space to reflect on her feelings.

Writing on Instagram back in December, she said: "I give myself 30 minutes to sit in the 'why him, why us,' to feel the anger and grief. Then I shake it off and return to what is. And what is… is unconditional love. I feel blessed to know it, and it's because of him. I'd do it all over again and again in a heartbeat."

Willis also has support from his ex-wife Demi Moore, 62, and their daughters Rumer Willis, 36, Scout Willis, 33, and Tallulah Willis, 30.

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