Tom Hanks’ 31-year-old son Chet Hanks may have had a charmed upbringing with lots of money, private jets, and fancy vacations. But the son of two famous people claims that not everything about his childhood was great.
Chet revealed some of the darker aspects of being the son of two celebrities (Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson) during a recent YouTube video called, “The Truth About Growing Up As A Hanks.”
While Chet said he’s “blessed” to be part of a family he loves, the experience of growing up with very famous parents was a “double-edged sword.”
“There’s a lot of advantages but sometimes it can be pretty weird,” Chet said in the YouTube video. “I got to do a lot of cool s*** that a lot of people don’t get the opportunity to do. I got to travel the world, stay in nice hotels, fly on private planes and I’m very blessed for that. I wouldn’t change my situation.”
The “Empire” alum explained that many of his peers were jealous, which led to some tricky situations. It didn’t help that people’s perceptions were shaped by who his parents were and nothing he could control.
“My experience was even more complicated because on top of fame already being toxic, I wasn’t even famous,” Chet continued. “I was just the son of somebody famous so I hadn’t even done anything to deserve any sort of recognition and that created a lot of contempt.”
The actor said how this negativity pervaded throughout his schooling career, but really came to a head during his high school years.
“People would make up their minds about me before they even got the chance to know me and it was extremely hard to break down their walls,” the “Your Honor” alum said. He also explained how it gave him a “chip” on his shoulder and a “hard exterior.”
Chet said, “People kinda did f*** with me a lot growing up. It was never to my face. It was always behind my back in the forms of gossip or s*** talking.”
Now Chet says he’s in a much better place. He concludes in the video that “people’s perception of you is only a reflection of themselves.” The father of one also claims to have “changed” his “life” and is no longer on the “self-destructive” path of “anger” and “partying.”
The son of Tom Hanks came under fire last summer for outspoken vaccine hesitancy. After giving a long video speech talking about how he got the vaccine and thinks it’s important for everyone to do, Chet quickly changed course, E News reported.
“PSYCH, b***! If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I never had COVID. Ya ain’t sticking me with that motherf***ing needle,” the actor said in the video.
He then said he believed COVID-19 is “the motherf***ing flu,” and continued, “Get over it, OK? If you’re sick, stay inside. OK, why we working around y’all? If you’re in danger, stay your ass inside. I’m tired of wearing a motherf***ing mask.”
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