>> jimmy: well, that's it. we did everything we could. thanks to rege-jean page. thanks to conan o'brien. don't forget to watch him hosting the oscars sunday night. i apologize to matt damon. we ran out of time for him tonight. "nightline" is next. thanks for watching, good night! thisis is nightline. tonight, ge hackman's cause of death revealed. the acting giant and star of classics like the french connection. >> all right, nobody move. put

your hands in the air. >> and superman. >> it's kryptonite. superman. i spared no expense to make you feel right at home. >> found lifeless in his home along with his wife. what we're learning tonight. plus, abracadabra. going gaga for lady gaga. casting a spell with her new hit, abracadabra. abracadabra. one on one with our michael strahan. >> returning to pop music for me was a little bit like something i was afraid of. >> pulling back the curtain on her album mayhem a return to her roots. >> immediately, lady gaga was just cranking out hit after hit. paparazzi. poker face. >> bop bop bop bop bop bop bop bop. her face. >> with new pop music and a new love. >> is my best friend. i think i wanted marriage and kids more than anything. >> and now, reaching back to the signature sound of her iconic chart toppers like that first big hit, just. >> dance, just dance gonna be okay. gotta do it. just sayin.

okay. gotta do it. just sayin. >> nightline will be right back. . that balance is key to a healthy gut environment. benefiber's plant-based prebiotic fiber gently nourishes the good bacteria, working with your body to help your gut, and you, flourish. effortlessly. every day. grow what feels good. with benefiber. some people have minor joint pain plus certain stomach problems. they may not be able to take just anything for pain. that's why doctors recommend tylenol. it won't irritate your stomach the way aleve, advil or motrin can. for trusted relief, trust tylenol. for all those making it big out there... ...shouldn't your mobile service be able to keep up with you? get wifi speeds up to a gig at home and on the go. introducing powerboost, only from xfinity mobile.

now that's big. xfinity internet customers, cut your mobile bill in half vs. t-mobile, verizon, and at&t for your first year. plus, ask how to get the new samsung galaxy s25+ on us. >> thanksning us tonight. authorities believe they have solved the mystery in gene hackman's death. the legendary actor's body found in his home along with his wife betsy, under disturbing and mysterious circumstances. why they believe the couple died of natural causes. here's abc's trevor ault.

>> tonight. new mexico authorities with tragic revelations to a week long mystery saying gene hackman died of heart disease and complications from alzheimer's, likely a week after his wife betsy died of the rare deadly disease hantavirus. >> the cause of death for mr. gene hackman, aged 95 years, is hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease with alzheimer's disease as a significant contributory factor. the cause of death for miss betsy hackman, aged 65 years, is hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. >> hantavirus is transmitted to humans by mice. there's been less than 900 cases since the cdc started tracking it in 1993. >> hantavirus can be transmitted to people through rodent urine, droppings or saliva. >> the couple, married for 30 years, were found dead inside their santa fe home by a neighborhood caretaker february 26th. hackman found in the mudroom, appearing to have suddenly fallen betsy in the

bathroom with pills scattered on the counter. her body further decomposed than her husband's. >> based on the circumstances, it is reasonable to conclude that miss hackman passed away first, with february 11th being the last time that she was known to be alive. >> officials say pacemaker data indicates hackman likely died february 18th. does this mean gene hackman was likely home with his deceased wife for a week before he passed away himself? >> yes, i would assume that that is the case. >> it marks a heartbreaking end to a legendary life for two time oscar winner gene hackman. >> who is it? superman. >> lex luthor. >> officials vowing to continue their investigation, but consider the mystery solved. >> our thanks to trevor. we're going to turn now to the celebrated return to pop music for lady gaga. she's worn many hats over the years, but her brand new album, an undeniable

throwback to her signature sound. the icon herself sitting down with abc's michael strahan. >> abracadabra. amore. abracadabra. >> lady gaga with abracadabra and her spellbinding beat is causing mayhem worldwide. >> she sat down for love tonight. >> little monsters everywhere awaiting the release of the 14 time grammy winning artist. seventh solo studio album, out today. you call it mayhem? yes. why that name? why that title? >> you know, i think i felt like i was playing multiple different people throughout my whole career and kind of having to hold the duality of that and that personal mayhem, i think, is echoed also in how i feel about the world sometimes, that the world is in a chaotic place. so i tried to use my artistry and my lyrics and songwriting to create something that was like

indicative of a personal chaos, but also how we can still celebrate and dance through it while that's happening. >> you said that this album is you facing your fear of returning to pop music. you're really fearful of returning? >> i think so. as a woman in music, there was a lot of people that were like, oh, like, this is who made her? or this is what made her. and i think that returning to pop music for me was a little bit like something i was afraid of, because i wondered if i was believing what those people were saying. so i went into the studio and i went in with confidence, and i was like, no, no, i made me, me. >> her lead single, disease, reminiscent of pop gaga quickly making the billboard global 200. you use these different phases and chapters in your life to tell different stories through your music. so what chapter are you in now? >> you know, i think that i am feeling really like confident in myself as a musician and as a

songwriter and a producer, as an artist. i know that might sound silly, but it actually took me two decades to become the boss in a way. like being a woman in music, i was almost always the only woman in the room all the time, and i had to really, really work hard to maintain my sense of stability and my purpose. and i always stuck to my guns when it came to my music and my artistry. but it was a real challenge and i, like, made it through that mayhem. >> because you already know what you mean to me and. all of the only one worth fighting for. >> and within the mayhem came love. gaga. finding a love as strong as the one she sings about in her grammy winning hit, die with a smile. you recently said that the missing piece of your life was having real love. >> yeah. >> now you have real love. >> yeah i do. >> no longer missing that piece.

>> no, i think i wanted marriage and kids more than anything. and it's on our very first date. we'd been talking for, like, three weeks on the phone every single day, just getting to know each other. and michael flew to vegas when i was doing my show to take me on our first date. and before we even sat down, i said, do you want marriage and kids? and he goes, yeah, i do. and i said, okay, great. do you want some champagne? and he goes, sure. but like, i think i wanted him to know like that. i was like a family girl. >> michael polansky is a 41 year old tech entrepreneur. the two got engaged in april of 2024. and what makes michael the right person for you? >> you know, he just loves the whole me. and i learn a lot from him. he's so supportive. he's got an incredibly kind heart. he's my he's my best friend. being in a partnership with your best friend, i feel like is a

huge blessing. and i, i couldn't imagine, like, going through life with anyone but him, honestly. >> and i know michael is not in the music business or the music world, but he helped you write some of the songs. >> well, we just we do a lot together. i mean, he includes me in his business as well. he's really creative. he plays guitar. he's like a beautiful musician. we have a really creative relationship and my album's called mayhem, but it's also like, nice to be in the mayhem with someone else. >> how's the wedding planning going? >> oh my gosh, you know what? it's you know. >> it's going. it's going all right. with that being said, i got a lightning round for you. okay, okay. but this lightning round is based off some song titles from your new album. if you could say abracadabra and change one thing in your life, what would it be? >> if i could change one thing in my life, i would just want, like everyone in the world, to be happy and no mental health issues.

>> what would your garden of eden look like? >> my garden of eden would have no binaries. >> what would make you die with a smile? >> what would make me die with a smile? being around all the people that i love at once. >> i could die with a smile now because i'm hanging out with you. >> me too. >> our thanks to michael. mayhem is out now, wherever you get your music. when we come back, even going back to high school. lady gaga says she always had big dreams. and one at a time, big dreams. and one at a time, there seemed to be coming moderate to severe ulcerative colitis symptoms can keep coming back. start to break away from uc with tremfya... with rapid relief at 4 weeks. tremfya blocks a key source of inflammation. at one year, many people experienced remission... and some saw 100% visible healing of their intestinal lining.

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>> welcome back. from pop to jazz movies and heavy metal, it seems lady gaga can do just about anything. she always knew she could. >> sorry, i cannot hear you. i'm kind of busy. >> what makes a pop star a pop superstar? >> is falling. i don't wanna think anymore. >> whatever that special something is. lady gaga has always had it in spades. from collabs with music royalty like beyonce in the jailhouse hit telephone to her record breaking anthem. >> roma roma ma gaga. >> like the avant garde, futuristic bad romance. >> i want your love and i want your revenge. you and me could write a bad romance. >> you could throw a dart and land on any one of the dozens of lady gaga pop hits over the last two decades poker face, paparazzi, born this way. >> immediately, lady gaga was just cranking out hit after hit,

paparazzi, poker face. everybody kind of connected to lady gaga almost immediately. >> but before she was lady gaga, she was stefani germanotta, the artsy italian american kid from new york city who had dreams of making it big. gaga, describing those. early days to abc in 2011. >> it's an absolute dream come true to be here today and to play in central park i'm from. i grew up five blocks from here. i'm just. just to see this many people here to listen to my music makes me just feel so proud. >> just dance. gonna be okay. >> it's hard to believe it's been nearly two decades. >> since the world first went gaga for gaga, with her first big hit, 2008 just dance. >> just like day. down and dirty. without fail. >> grabbing us by the collar and telling us to get off our chairs and onto the dance floor. >> the dance. >> it's true that it's gaga's world. and we're all just living in it. with six billboard number one hit songs, six number one

albums, and more than 123 million monthly listeners on spotify, she's cemented her legacy as one of the most influential figures in modern music. speaking at the billboard women in music awards in 2015. >> to be here today means that i'm recognized for my songwriting and for my legacy, which means a lot. >> but gaga wasn't content with just being a pop superstar and shining on the stage. she was determined to make her mark off the stage, nabbing her first leading tv role in 2015. >> lady gaga. >> winning a golden globe for her role as the countess on american horror story hotel. >> a woman can only be pushed so far, and i'm right on the edge. >> three years later, she landed her first leading role on the big screen, drawing us in with sensitivity and strength in 2018. a star is born, directed by her costar bradley cooper, with that enrapturing ballad shallow. >> in the style of shallow in

the shallow sha la la la. >> she spoke with abc's michael strahan at the time. >> a star is born. a lot of reviews out there already, a lot of oscar buzz. how did how did that make you feel? >> you know, it's extremely humbling and i'm just grateful to have been a part of this experience. it's interesting for me. you know, i think, you know, taking off my wigs, taking off my makeup, you know, going back to an earlier place in my life to play this character. it's an interesting thing for me to reveal and to experience. >> shallow would go on to win gaga her first academy award for best original song. >> thank you so much to the academy for this wonderful honor. >> which she and cooper passionately performed at the oscars. >> in the sha sha la la la love. in the shattered shallow. we're

far from the. shallow now. best leading actress, drawing on her own experience as a young singer in bringing the role to life. >> in high school. you know, i got made fun of for having big dreams. i got made fun of, for loving to sing and for loving to be in all the musicals. and that is where i drew from from my life experience for this character. >> lady gaga is kind of unstoppable because she's not just a singer. she also is one incredible actress too, you know? and she's not just a vanity actress. >> hi, tony. hi. >> as her career progressed far from the dance floor soundtracks, lady gaga chose to explore the ranges of her musicality. >> i've got you under my skin. >> collaborating with music legends like her heralded duets with the late icon tony bennett.

>> but practically. everything leaves me totally. >> cold. >> the only exception i know is the case. the first thing i think of is how bright the audience is to just really pick up on her and just say she is it. what a great performer she is, you know, and the public knows it. and the public is. >> genre bending, shape shifting. oftentimes a chameleon like performer. >> with production. >> she can belt out heavy metal while rocking alongside metallica at the 2017 grammys. >> seduced by fame. >> to turn around and bring the flair and ferocity with the legendary sir elton john. >> i hope you don't mind. i hope you don't mind that i put down in words. yeah.

>> and if music wasn't enough. >> i don't consider myself to be a particularly ethical person. but i am fair. >> she continued to push boundaries with her roles in hollywood in 2021. house of gucci. >> i saw what you said. this is not an imitation. it's a becoming. so how did you become her? >> i spent six months working on her accent. >> father, son and house of gucci. i spent a lot of time talking this way. just as stefani myself. that's my real name. my italian name is stefania, and i would just have conversations all the time where i was myself, but with the accent, so that i could get used to it being comfortable. >> all the while fighting as an advocate for marginalized communities and speaking up for victims of sexual assault. growing up in front of our eyes, fans have gotten to witness the many phases of gaga's moonshot. the latest act might be her best yet, with new music and new love. getting engaged to fiance michael polansky in 2024.

>> what's next for lady gaga? i'm going to go ahead and say anything she wants to do is what's next for her. >> with the discography most artists would die for, and a style that constantly pushes the boundaries. you might think lady gaga would run out of ideas. >> at some point. >> but she's back at it again with her newest album, mayhem, featuring. abracadabra. >> abracadabra. abracadabra. in her tongue, she said. therefore. love tonight. >> for any other artist by any other name. this much change might raise some eyebrows. but this is gaga. it's her world and right now she's just writing another chapter. >> i'd like to spend the next decades of my life learning how to mobilize myself and those who are watching to. >> build a. >> kinder and braver world. >> when we come back.

>> for like, she wants the young american. >> david bowie's young americans celebrating a very special anniversary. and what does that have to do with lady gaga have to do with lady gaga anyway? to severe rheumatoid arthritis symptoms... ...with my psoriatic arthritis symptoms. but just ok isn't ok. and i was done settling. if you still have symptoms after trying humira, rinvoq works differently. rinvoq is a once-daily pill from the makers of humira that can rapidly relieve joint pain, stiffness, and swelling as fast as 2 weeks for some. and even at the 3-year mark, many people felt this relief. rinvoq can stop joint damage. and in psa, can leave skin clear or almost clear. rinvoq can lower ability to fight infections. before treatment, test for tb and do bloodwork. serious infections, blood clots, some fatal; cancers, including lymphoma and skin; serious allergic reactions; gi tears; death; heart attack; and stroke occurred. cv event risk increases in age 50 plus with a heart disease risk factor. tell your doctor if you've had these events, infection,

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>> and finally,, tonight, the golden anniversary of a rock n roll classic. >> for likes and wants. the young american. >> david bowie's young americans, released 50 years ago today, it was bowie's ninth studio record and contained the monster title song and its follow up, fame. >> baby. >> why don't you like is in the live show. >> which rocketed to number one. lady gaga, who herself had an album called the fame, has said david bowie was one of the biggest inspirations for her new album mayhem. and that's nightline for tonight. you can watch all of our full episodes on hulu. we'll see you right back here. same time monday. thanks for staying up with us. good night america, have a great weekend. >> karen reid facing a retrial for killing her police officer boyfriend. >> did you. >> drive your car. >>