Celebrity deaths have a way of fascinating the public, and Gene Hackman's passing is no exception in this regard. Heads turned when it was revealed that Hackman, his wife, and their dog were found dead in their Santa Fe home. While a medical examiner revealed the timeline of their passing, a request by Hackman's family to prevent autopsy reports from going to the public is being called "unusual." Let's break it all down.
For weeks now, tributes to Gene Hackman have rolled in from those who knew the late actor, as well as a special presentation at the Oscars. There are still countless questions about how the Hackmans died, but that information might be kept private if the actor's family gets their wish. An insider close to the situation spoke to The Sun about this latest update, and how unique the request is. As they put it:
Trying to block the autopsy report is very atypical, that is not something I have ever seen before. New Mexico doesn't have an exemption for autopsy photos, and normally it's not a concern, but when it comes to celebrity deaths, a lot of people will request them. So it's common where family members of celebrities would use the New Mexico courts to block release of photos specifically.
These are some bold words. It sounds like Hackman's family trying to get the autopsy blocked from the public is somewhat unprecedented. And given the medical mystery involved in the passing of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa, smart money says this news is quickly going to go viral.
In the same report, the anonymous insider offered more insight about what information is typically blocked to the public in high profile deaths in New Mexico. They said:
As with the Hackmans, Michael Jackson's family blocked Tito Jackson's autopsy photos, and with the Alec Baldwin shooting of Halyna Hutchins, her family did the same. However, blocking the actual autopsy report, again, is highly unusual.
One can assume that the late actor's family is simply trying to protect his privacy. After all, there have been countless headlines since Gene Hackman's death about the mysterious circumstances surrounding it.
While the public waits for answers, only time will tell whether or not the autopsy results are released. In the meantime, friends of Hackman have spoken about their final conversations with the legendary actor. What's more, fans are re-watching Hackman's filmography, including the lesser known projects.
The surprising nature of sealing the records will also turn heads because Gene Hackman's wife Betsy Arakawa was posthumously diagnosed with hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. This is a rare condition, one that has the potential to concern public health as a whole. Clearly the situation is a complicated one, and there are very strong feelings involved.
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