by Stephanie SoteriouBuzzFeedBuzzFeed StaffI've been a pop culture journalist for over 10 years, which is both a terrifying and amazing concept - who would have thought that my love of celebrity gossip would literally pay my bills? It goes without saying that death is always tragic, and every loss carries its own deep sadness. However, sometimes the circumstances surrounding somebody's passing makes the heartbreak all the heavier. Here's a recap of the celebrity deaths made especially painful by the profoundly tragic way that they happened: 1. In February 2025, Gene Hackman, his wife Betsy Arakawa, and one of their three pet dogs were found dead in their Santa Fe home, with the strange circumstances surrounding their passing sparking widespread interest. Donaldson Collection / Getty Images Hollywood actor Gene was 95 years old at the time of his death, and classical pianist Betsy was 63. The two had been married since 1991. While Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza quickly reassured the community that they did not suspect foul play, a carbon monoxide leak was also ruled out - adding to the mystery. Sam Wasson / Getty Images It wasn't until the following month that the full tragic details surrounding Gene and Betsy's deaths were shared in a press conference, with authorities determining that Betsy had died a full week before her husband - who was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease. Mario Magnani / Getty Images The bodies were only found after two maintenance workers for the gated community where they lived called 911 as nobody had seen the couple for two weeks, and Betsy's body was found on the bathroom floor, with an orange prescription bottle close by and pills scattered on the counter. The search warrant affidavit stated that her body "showed obvious signs of death, body decomposition, bloating in her face and mummification in both hands and feet." Ron Galella / Getty Images Gene's body was found in a "similar" condition in what is thought to have been a mud room close to the kitchen, with deputies on the scene suspecting he had "suddenly fallen." The dog, Zinna, was found in a crate in the bathroom closet having been picked up from a veterinary hospital a few days before Betsy's death. Bauer-griffin / Getty Images Betsy's cause of death is thought to have been hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare infectious disease carried by rodents that can cause flulike symptoms and affect the lungs and heart. Her cellphone showed that she'd made multiple calls to a health clinic prior to her death, with the clinic later stating that she'd cancelled her scheduled appointment to care for her husband. Ron Galella / Getty Images After Betsy's death, it is thought that Gene endured an incredibly difficult final week of his life due to his advanced Alzheimer's, with medical professionals explaining that it was "quite possible that he was not aware that [his wife] was deceased." Vera Anderson / Getty Images Shedding some light on how Gene's final days likely played out, neurologist Dr. Brendan Kelley said in a press conference: "A person might feel worried or frightened, but at the same time they might not be capable to take the actions that you or I might normally think to do in order to alleviate that worry or concern, such as calling somebody else, or going to speak to a neighbor." Donaldson Collection / Getty Images No food was found in Gene's stomach at the time of his death, and officials found no evidence that he'd communicated with anybody after his wife passed. 2. In July 2020, Glee star Naya Rivera took her then-4-year-old son, Josey, on a boat trip in Lake Piru, California, but tragically drowned when she was unable to get back onto the boat as it started to drift. She was 33 years old. Gregg Deguire / Getty Images Divers and helicopters searched the lake after authorities found sleeping Josey alone on the boat on the evening of their lake trip, with the little boy reportedly telling them that his mom had "jumped into the water but didn't come back up." Naya's body was eventually found, and the incident report on her death concluded that Naya drowned after she exhausted herself getting Josey back onto the boat. Amy Sussman / Getty Images In March 2025, Josey's father, Ryan Dorsey, revealed that his and Naya's son was haunted by the heartbreaking details of that fateful day, with Ryan and Naya separated at the time of her death. In an interview with People magazine, Ryan revealed that Josey, now 10, had told him he'd been worried about getting into the water because of the wind, but his mom had reassured him and said: "Don't be silly!" Chris Delmas / Getty Images When Naya noticed that the rented boat, which did not have an anchor or any flotation devices, was drifting, she told Josey to swim back to it, and he remembers grabbing "the tanks" and pulling himself "around the boat." View this photo on Instagram Instagram @dorseyryan / Via instagram.com "He said that the last thing she said was his name,