Tom Hanks’ daughter E.A. Hanks opens up about difficult upbringing in new memoir extracts
Extracts from her memoir show E.A. Hanks uses the book to open up about her difficult upbringing, her relationship with her parents and her painful memories.
E.A. Hanks uses her memoir to open up about her difficult upbringing, her relationship with her parents and the painful memories that shaped her new book.
The writer, 42 – full name Elizabeth Anne Hanks – was born to actor Tom Hanks, 68, and his first wife Samantha Lewes in Sacramento, California.
In 1994, when her mother lost primary custody of her and her brother, Colin Hanks, 46, the siblings moved to Los Angeles to live with their father and his second wife, Rita Wilson, 68.
Samantha, born Susan Dillingham, died in 2002 at the age of 49 following a battle with bone cancer. Tom legally separated from Samantha in 1985, and their seven-year marriage officially ended in divorce in 1987.
E.A. has shared her story in her literary debut, ‘The 10: A Memoir of Family and the Open Road’, which was released on Tuesday. (08.04.25)
Describing he views on her parenthood, she said in the book: “Rita’s not really a stepmother, she’s my other mother.
“When I say my parents, I really mean my dad and Rita, because they’ve been together since before I can really remember.”
In excerpts published by People, it’s clear E.A. uses her 352-page memoir to detail what she described as a chaotic childhood shaped by her mother’s mental illness, which she suspects was undiagnosed bipolar disorder.
The author said in her memoir: “She pushed me, shook me, pulled at my hair and locked me in a closet once or twice.
“She told me there were men hiding in her closet who were waiting for us to go to sleep to come out and do horrible things.”
E.A. added her childhood was defined by instability and hunger.
She said: “It was either feast or famine at home,” before detailing how she and Colin were sometimes left without food.
Despite the trauma, E.A. maintains a strong bond with her father and Rita, who married in 1988 and will celebrate their 37th wedding anniversary on 30 April.
The couple also have two sons together – Chet Hanks, 34, and Truman Hanks, 29.
