Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa observed in public for the first time in 21 years

Many people may have had to rub their eyes an extra time when pictures of the star couple Gene Hackman (94) and Betsy Arakawa (62) appeared in social media.

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The couple have not been seen together in public for 21 years, reports Page Six.

“I thought he was dead”

According to Page Six, the pair were photographed after having dinner at the Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen restaurant in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Hackman held his loved one’s hand while using the other to support himself with a cane. He was wearing a blue checkered shirt, gray fleece vest and cargo pants, while Arakawa had gone for a patterned blouse and dark jeans.

The couple’s rare city trip has naturally caused several people to share their reactions on social media.

“Coffee and cigarettes. He is 94. Boom!”, writes a user on X.

“I thought he was dead,” admits another.

“How the hell does the photographer recognize him?” wonders a third.

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Meet at the fitness center

Hackman is known from the films “Runaway Jury”, “Welcome to Mooseport” and “Heartbreakers”.

The last time the star couple was spotted together was when they walked the red carpet at the Golden Globe Awards in 2003. Hackman retired from acting the following year, and has lived a secluded life in Sante Fe ever since.

The pair met at a fitness center in Los Angeles, where Hackman trained and Arakawa worked. In 1991 they got married. The two have no children together, but the 94-year-old has three children from a previous marriage, Christopher (64), Elizabeth (61) and Leslie (57).