Gene Hackman Handyman Tells Cops Keep Death Quiet ... After Finding Wife's Body

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CAUSE FOR CONCERN

Gene Hackman's handyman and caretaker talked to cops after claiming he spied the late actor's wife's dead body inside their secluded New Mexico home ... telling them to keep things on the down low.

New police body cam footage released Tuesday shows the interaction between cops and Gene's handyman ... and he tells them he went to check on the couple because he hadn't heard from them in nearly 3 weeks.

The guy claims he was trying to get a wellness check and stumbled upon Betsy Arakawa's body. He says it's Gene's house and the couple valued privacy and to keep the incident on the hush.

Wink Martindale Dead at 91

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Wink Martindale is high rolling with God now ... the iconic TV game show host died Tuesday following a cancer battle.

Wink's publicists say the host of "High Rollers," "Tic-Tac-Dough" and "Gambit" passed away in the SoCal desert city of Rancho Mirage, and was surrounded by family ... including his wife Sandra Martindale.

He'd been battling lymphoma for about a year, and was doing well, according to his rep Brian Mayes ... but about 2 weeks ago, Wink took a turn for the worst, and was in a hospital getting treatment when he died.

Wink, whose birth name was Winston Conrad, got his start down South as a radio DJ in the early '50s in Memphis.

He was actually working at WHBQ when the station became the first to play Elvis Presley's debut hit, "That's All Right" in 1954 -- and he reportedly invited Elvis down to the station for his very first interview.

Andrew Tate's Ex Bri Stern I Didn't Deserve To Be Beaten

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I DIDN'T DESERVE THIS
Instagram / @thebristern

Bri Stern is speaking out after claiming her ex boyfriend Andrew Tate beat her ... she says she trusted him and he got her with a classic bait and switch.

Andrew's ex just posted a video on social media detailing her side of their relationship ... expanding on why she started dating him in the first place and pushing back on the haters she says are telling her she deserved his alleged abuse.

Bri says Andrew charmed her and convinced her all the negative things out there were not true and she says she takes full accountability for giving it a go as his girlfriends ... despite narratives that he's a misogynist.

Gene Hackman Death Case New Video Shows Dog Protecting Wife's Body ... Loyal to the Very End

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GRUESOME DISCOVERY

Police just released body cam video from the Gene Hackman death case ... and you see officers searching his New Mexico home before ultimately finding his and his wife's bodies ... with one of their live dogs lying next to Betsy Arakawa.

TMZ obtained the footage Tuesday and you see cops scouring the Santa Fe home in search of Gene and Betsy.

Police find Betsy's body first -- she's on the floor near a locked exterior door, with one of their dogs by her side ... and Gene's body is later found near the kitchen.

Lavar Ball Heartfelt FaceTime W/ Gelo About Music ... From Hospital Bed Before Foot Amputation

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FATHER-SON FACETIME

LaVar Ball was keeping tabs on his son's rapid rise in the rap game despite his recent serious health issues ... 'cause the famous pops had a special FaceTime with Gelo from his hospital bed in between multiple surgeries that led to the Big Ballers' foot being amputated.

TMZ Sports broke the story earlier this year -- LaVar had his right foot amputated after complications from an infection ... and in a video of his chat with his middle son, it's clear his love and pride for his family helped him during the rough time.

The 57-year-old shared the video with us ... which shows Gelo excitedly telling his dad about all the updates with his music career, including landing a set at Rolling Loud in Los Angeles.

'Hawk Tuah' Chanel West Coast Tells Her I See Your Face Every Time I 💦🍆!!!

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TUAH MUCH INFORMATION???
Talk Tuah with Haliey Welch

"Hawk Tuah" has been the poster girl for cheeky sex hacks for a while -- and now, one TV personality is letting her know she's actually become a key part of her spicy bedroom antics.

Chanel West Coast popped up on Haliey Welch’s "Talk Tuah" podcast and dropped a wild confession ... ever since that viral clip, she literally can’t give a guy a blowjob without picturing Haliey’s face.

CWC gave a bit more context, saying that during the spicy moment, when she's just about to get her spit on, she literally can’t avoid seeing Hawk’s face smiling back at her right.

Tokyo Toni Catfight With Short-Lived Roommate Who Claims She Got Evicted for Not Licking Cooter!!!

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FIGHTING IT OUT

Tokyo Toni thought it would be a good idea to invite a stray fan to live with her ... an idea that exploded in her face when the two women began throwing blows!!!

On Tuesday, Tokyo let fans into her turmoil for the past 6 weeks since she opened her heart and the doors to her home.

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WHAT HAPPENED

Tokyo says the woman posed as a fan -- and as a music producer who was down and out and needed to get back on her feet.

'Ghost Adventures' Wife Pleads Guilty to Plotting Aaron Goodwin's Murder

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"Ghost Adventures" star Aaron Goodwin's wife won't be haunting him ... in a court of law, at least -- she's struck a plea deal to avoid a lengthy murder-for-hire trial, and shorten her sentence.

Victoria Goodwin filed docs, obtained by TMZ, informing the judge in Clark County, Nevada, she intends to plead guilty to one of the 2 counts she was facing for allegedly plotting to kill her famous husband.

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FIRST TIME IN COURT
Fox 5

According to the docs, Goodwin says she's copping to conspiracy to commit murder, and in exchange prosecutors will drop the charge of solicitation to commit murder. Additionally, prosecutors have agreed to make no recommendation to the judge on Goodwin's sentence.

Gayle King Cosmic Clapback To Space Mission Haters!!!

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TO THE HATERS...
TMZ.com

Gayle King’s still riding high after that nerve-wracking Blue Origin mission -- but she’s bringing it back down to Earth just a bit to clap back at the haters saying the money could be spent elsewhere.

TMZ caught up with Gayle, and funny enough -- she used to be one of the cynics too. But, after getting that firsthand experience, she’s seen how much important stuff actually goes into space exploration ... and now, she’s urging the critics to go see it for themselves at Blue Origin HQ.

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TO INFINITY AND BEYOND
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Gayle makes it clear the money going into space travel isn’t coming at the expense of what’s happening down here on the ground -- something the cynics, such as Emily Ratajkowski, have spoken out about.

D.L. Hughley on Luigi Mangione If I Were a Juror ... I Might Find Him Not Guilty!!!

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NOT SO CUT-AND-DRIED
TMZ.com

D.L. Hughley says he would have a lot to think about if he were a juror in Luigi Mangione's trial ... telling us he might even go so far as to find the accused United Healthcare CEO murderer innocent!!!

The comedian joined us on "TMZ Live" Tuesday and we asked him about the cult-like following Luigi has, even though the feds claim Mangione gunned down Brian Thompson in cold blood in Manhattan in December.

D.L. says he absolutely understands why Luigi has a lot of supporters out there ... he feels Americans are so fed up with the health insurance agency and are so accustomed to gun violence in their everyday lives that Mangione's alleged murder isn't a big deal to many.

Eric Dane Things to Do, People to See ... On Heels of ALS Diagnosis

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Eric Dane is doing exactly what he said he would after announcing he has ALS ... he's getting out and about, not letting the diagnosis slow his lifestyle.

The "Euphoria" and "Grey's Anatomy" star was looking good while visiting a friend in L.A., and his Sunday outing came just 2 days after revealing he's now battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis -- which is commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Eric seemed a little thinner than we're used to seeing him, but was still flaunting his McSteamy good looks in an off-white sweater, khakis and zaddy-approved eyewear.

Paige Bueckers Wings Ticket Sales, Prices Take Flight ... After WNBA Draft

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The Paige Bueckers effect is already taking over Dallas ... 'cause ticket sales and prices have seen a major spike since the Wings took the UConn star with the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft.

Bueckers -- who won the 2025 NCAA championship with the Huskies -- was the first name called in Monday night's event ... which was quite the no-brainer for the organization.

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EXCITED FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER

Ever since Paige walked the stage, platforms have been overwhelmed with Wings fans trying to get their hands on game tickets ... including SeatGeek, which told us the sales are up 11x compared to five days before the draft.

On Tour With Rita Ora ... Fun Photos From Atlanta and Orlando!

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Rita Ora hit the road and joined recording artist Kylie Minogue on the "Tension Tour" -- recently hitting Atlanta and Orlando!

The actress-singer is havin' a blast Down South -- grabbin' hold of some gators, flauntin' her hot bod, and flexing her flexibility ... and serving up some fresh whipped waffles!

A true breakfast champion, "The Masked Singer" judge posted up in a Waffle House and snapped a selfie parading all the delight and deliciousness!

Backstage, Rita dropped the mic and showed off her bendy side as she prepped to rock out in front of thousands of concertgoers -- she sported this leotard and pair of black tights!

Check out our gallery and see all the fun BTS photos, then slide into her hot shots -- they don't disappoint 🥵!

Gene Hackman's Wife Betsy Arakawa Researched COVID Symptoms Days Before Hantavirus Death

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Gene Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa, was searching online for answers about symptoms Gene was experiencing just days before dying from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a new investigation shows.

The new report released by New Mexico officials, obtained by TMZ, revealed Betsy had bookmarks open on her computer from Feb. 8 and the morning of Feb. 12 -- the day she died -- showing she was searching whether COVID could cause symptoms like dizziness or nosebleeds.

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GENE HACKMAN: THROUGH THE YEARS
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An email to her masseuse revealed Gene woke up on Feb. 11 with flu or cold-like symptoms. His COVID test came back negative, but Betsy said she’d reschedule her appointment "out of an abundance of caution."

'It Ends With Us' Blake LIVELY Took Advantage of Justin's Kindness ... Crew Member Says

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HOSTILE TAKEOVER
60 Minutes: Australia

Looks like Justin Baldoni's got a major W in his books ... 'cause an "It Ends with Us" crew member just publicly spoken out in support of him -- and completely bashed Blake Lively in the process.

"It Ends with Us" storyboard artist Talia Spencer sat down with "60 Minutes Australia" for an interview that aired this weekend, and she came out swinging at Blake ... claiming she thinks the actress "smelled [Justin's] kindness, mistook it for weakness and tried to take advantage and take power" during the filming process.

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TMZ TIMELINE: JUSTIN BALDONI & BLAKE LIVELY
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Doubling down on her thoughts, she agreed Blake "wrestled control of the film" and claimed the final version of 'IEWU' is nothing like Justin's original plan.

Karmelo Anthony Judge In Murder Case Gets Added Security ... FBI Investigating Threats

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The judge who reduced Karmelo Anthony's bond this week is getting some added security, TMZ Sports has learned, after law enforcement said she's been the recipient of threats following her key decision in the murder case.

The Collin County Sheriff's Office told us Tuesday it's beefed up protection around Judge Angela Tucker in the wake of her Monday choice to lower the alleged H.S. track meet killer's bail from $1 million to $250,000.

The CCSO said "court staff and concerned citizens" reported the menacing remarks made against the official ... and now, its team of investigators, as well as the FBI are probing the matter.