Inside Chet Hanks’ transformation: the son of Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson got flak for his song White Boy Summer and called fame ‘destructive’ – then he revealed his dedication to God on Instagram
Chet Hanks’ life-changing decision
At the end of July, Chet revealed to his more than 530,000 followers on Instagram that he had chosen a new path in life, stating, “There’s only one thing the world needs more of and that’s God.” In the post, Chet shared an image of his chest with a cross tattooed over his previous Eye of Providence tattoo, explaining that he was an atheist before converting to Christianity 10 years ago. According to Men’s Health, Chet deleted all other images from his Instagram account, leaving only the one of his chest.
“All the pain in my life has been the result of one thing – the lie of believing that my purpose is anything but just serving God,” he wrote. “It’s not fully clear to me yet how I can best serve Him, but I feel that this level of honesty is a starting point. And I know He will continue to reveal more.”
Chet later deleted the image of his chest and his caption, leaving his page completely blank.
Meet Ariana Grande’s new boyfriend, SpongeBob SquarePants actor Ethan Slater
He is an actor and a rapper
The first child of actress Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks, Chet, 33, was born on August 4, 1990. As a student at Northwestern University, he used the stage name Chet Haze while attempting to launch a music career.
He has also done some acting work and his well-known for his roles on Empire and Shameless. He famously made headlines when he confirmed via an Instagram video that his parents had Covid-19 at the start of the pandemic.
However, he raised eyebrows for his use of AAVE in the video, The New Yorker reported. He drew attention again in another Instagram video, where he stated, “I just got this feeling, man, that this summer is, it’s about to be a white boy summer.” He released his hip-hop song “White Boy Summer” in mid-2021.
In 2022, he opened the personal training company HanxFit.
10 Asian stars rocking Barbiecore in 2023: from HK’s Grace Chan to Blackpink
Struggles with substance abuse
In 2014, he was admitted to rehab to treat substance abuse – a problem he had battled since he was 16. He said he got sober for his daughter, Michaiah Hanks, who he had with his ex Tiffany Miles, per The New Yorker.
In a podcast with Ivan Paychecks, Chet spoke about the interventions his parents made at the height of his addiction. In 2008, when he was a high school junior, he was dragged out of his bed and taken to a wilderness programme in Utah. But Chet believes his parents were simply manipulated by and taken advantage of by the programme because they had money.
His Hollywood legacy was a “double-edged sword”
Chet acknowledged that he was privileged, but said he was “never just given money or an allowance”. He had to work to earn money and was raised that way his whole life, he added. Chet went on to declare that fame is the “most powerful drug known to man. It can also be the most destructive”.
Is Blackpink’s Lisa dating an LVMH heir – and will she end her YG contract?
He admitted his experience with fame was even more unique because “I wasn’t even famous. I hadn’t even done anything to deserve recognition”. He said it drew contempt from people because he wasn’t talented and people made many assumptions about his life.
- Chester Marlon Hanks, 33, is the son of iconic Hollywood actor Tom Hanks – but although he might be a nepo baby, he called his Hollywood upbringing a ‘double-edged sword’ on YouTube
- The actor and rapper blasted Donald Trump and supported the Black Lives Matter movement, but still sparked controversy over his use of AAVE – but now he says his purpose is ‘serving God’