Gene Hackman’s health had been “slipping” in the lead up to his and wife Betsy Arakawa’s mysterious deaths, his friends have revealed.

Daniel and Barbara Lenihan, as well as their son Aaron, have been friends with the legendary Hollywood actor, 95, and his wife for years, as they spoke about the duo’s deaths in an interview with People.

Daniel said that “in recent times” the two-time Oscar winner was “essentially kind of home-bound.”

Gene Hackman’s health had been “slipping” in the lead up to his and wife Betsy Arakawa’s mysterious deaths, his friends have revealed. GC Images

Barbara, for her part, added that Hackman “quit riding his bike through the neighborhood” about a year ago, with his health “really slipping” in the “last couple of months.”

However, Barbara’s claim disputes Hackman’s daughter Leslie Anne’s, who last week told TMZ that her father was “in very good physical condition” in the months leading up to his death.

“He liked to do Pilates and yoga, and he was continuing to do that several times a week. So he was in good health,” she told the outlet after her father’s death.

Still, Barbara added that Arakawa — a classical pianist — was ” so fit” and “in perfect health.”

Author Daniel Lenihan has been friends with the legendary Hollywood actor, 95, and his wife for years. The Grosby Group

“Betsy tried to keep him kind of active and engaged,” Aaron told the outlet. “She was still trying to keep him as active and engaged and healthy as possible.”

He added that she was “very protective of [Hackman] in terms of COVID, so she’d always wear a mask when we’d see her out.”

Indeed, Arakawa’s efforts in looking out for her husband were echoed by Hackman’s longtime friend and former business partner last week, who revealed that she kept the actor on a “strict diet.”

Hackman and Arakawa were found dead in different rooms of their multimillion-dollar New Mexico home last week. Facebook / Animal Rescue, Inc.

As for Arakawa’s relationship with the “French Connection” actor, Aaron revealed that the duo — who tied the knot in 1991 — were “one of the tightest couples I’ve seen.”

“They seemed like real life partners, really, really close to each other, and they were both incredibly kind. And they were reserved, but they were real, [and] a lot of fun,” he told the outlet.

Barbara chimed in, adding, “Gene was as proud of Betsy as she was of him. She had been a concert pianist. Over at their house, she had a special building, a studio that half of it was her grand pianos [and] another half was Gene’s art studio.”

The Post’s front page cover honoring Gene Hackman. NYPOST

Hackman and Arakawa’s deaths have been subject to much speculation after it emerged that they were found in different rooms of their multimillion-dollar New Mexico home.

It was revealed last week that the pair showed “no external trauma” after police completed their preliminary autopsies.

Arakawa’s body was found mummified and bloated.

Santa Fe Sheriff Adan Mendoza said there are no signs of foul play in Hackman and Arakawa’s deaths while he awaits for the official autopsy and toxicology reports.

The pair showed “no external trauma” after police completed their preliminary autopsies last week. Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

Santa Fe fire personnel and the New Mexico Gas Company tested the pair’s $3.8 million home for carbon monoxide after Hackman and Arakawa’s bodies were discovered.

However, fire department officials found no evidence of a toxic leak in the home.