Tom Hanks Reflects on Daughter's Heart-Wrenching Memoir of a Troubled Childhood
Tom Hanks Breaks Silence on Daughter's Shocking Memoir: 'I Knew She Had It In Her'
The Hollywood legend, 68, opened up about his daughter Elizabeth Anne "E.A." Hanks' bombshell memoir, The 10: A Memoir of Family and the Open Road, which has sent shockwaves through Tinseltown. The book, released in April, delves into E.A.'s troubled childhood with her parents, Tom Hanks and the late actress Samantha Lewes.
In an exclusive interview on the red carpet for his new film The Phoenician Scheme, Tom praised his daughter's bravery for sharing her dark family secrets. "I'm not surprised that my daughter had the wherewithal as well as the curiosity... to examine this thing that I think she was incredibly honest about," he said, beaming with pride.
But what exactly did E.A.'s memoir reveal? According to sources close to the family, E.A. recounts how her mother chose to uproot her and older brother Colin from Los Angeles to Sacramento without warning in 1987. The siblings were forced to live in a rundown house with a pool that was often clogged with dog feces and expired food littered the fridge.
But things took a turn for the worse when E.A.'s mother's behavior became increasingly erratic, marked by episodes of emotional and physical violence. "My mother's emotional and physical violence brought me back to live with my father," E.A. writes in her memoir. The family drama reached a boiling point when E.A.'s mother, who struggled with bipolar disorder, made a disturbing claim in one of her journal entries: she accused E.A.'s grandfather of raping, murdering, and cannibalizing a young girl.
The shocking allegations have left many wondering if there's any truth to the claims. E.A., who embarked on a six-month road trip after her mother's passing in 2002, poured over her mother's journals and uncovered some disturbing evidence. "I read her description of her father committing this horrible crime," she wrote in an excerpt shared with The Scholarly Note. "The crime she describes is witnessing her father rape, murder, and cannibalize a little girl."
E.A.'s memoir also sheds light on the tumultuous relationship between Tom Hanks and his first wife, Samantha Lewes. The couple met while studying theater at California State University in Sacramento and had two children together before divorcing in 1987. Tom's career was taking off during this time, but it came at a cost: he spent increasingly long periods away from home, leaving Samantha to care for their young children.
The cracks in their marriage were evident when Tom began an affair with actress Rita Wilson on the set of Volunteers in 1985. "Rita and I just looked at each other and - kaboing - that was it," Tom confessed during a 2016 appearance on the BBC's Desert Island Discs.
E.A.'s memoir has sparked a heated debate about the Hanks family's dark past, with many questioning whether Samantha Lewes' struggles with bipolar disorder were properly diagnosed or treated. The book has also raised eyebrows about Tom Hanks' role in his daughter's life during this time.
Despite the controversy surrounding her memoir, E.A.'s courage and determination have earned her widespread praise from fans and fellow writers alike. When asked if she was concerned about the potential backlash, E.A. told The Scholarly Note that she wrote the book to process her own experiences and find closure: "I just wanted to tell my story, and I hope it helps others who may be going through similar struggles."
As for Tom Hanks, he's been supportive of his daughter throughout the ordeal. When asked about E.A.'s decision to write a memoir, he said, "She's always been very open about what the process is... And she was incredibly honest about what happened." The actor's unwavering support has only added to the intrigue surrounding E.A.'s bombshell memoir.
The question on everyone's mind now: will this be the last we've seen of Tom Hanks' family drama? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain - The 10 has opened a Pandora's box, and it's about to get very interesting.
