Tom Hanks' Daughter Reveals Shocking Truth About Her Childhood

Tom Hanks‘ only daughter is sharing rare insight into her childhood.

Elizabeth Anne Hanks, often referred to simply as E.A. Hanks, alleged that her mother, Susan Dillingham (also known by her stage name Samantha Lewes), was abusive after their divorce in the 1980s.

The individual who is 42 years old claims that the alleged mistreatment began following Susan gaining primary custody of her and her brother, Colin Hanks (now 47 years old), and suddenly moving them from Los Angeles to Sacramento, California. They stated that this move took Tom by surprise.

In a poignant passage from my memoir, “The 10: A Journey of Family and the Open Road,” published by People, I penned about an unexpected incident. “Upon arriving at school to pick us up,” I recalled, “I was nowhere to be found – and it was revealed that we hadn’t been there for a full fortnight! My father was left with no choice but to trace our whereabouts.

After working out the divorce terms, I would spend weekends and summers with my father, his wife (who is Tom’s spouse, Rita Wilson), and later my younger half-brothers, Chet Hanks and Truman Hanks. However, from age 5 to 14, I experienced a mix of confusion, violence, scarcity, and affection; during that time, I was a resident of Sacramento.

Initially, it was a “house with white exterior and columns, a yard featuring a swimming pool, and every wall adorned with horse-themed pictures” that transformed over time into a residence which became filled with the odor of smoke, as described by E.A.

Over time, our backyard accumulated an excessive amount of dog waste to the point where it was difficult to navigate, she recounted. The refrigerator was frequently either empty or filled with spoiled food. Her mother spent increasingly long hours in her large four-poster bed, engrossed in the Bible. One evening, her emotional aggression escalated into physical violence.

E.A. shared that she resided with her mother up until the midpoint of seventh grade. At this time, the custody agreement shifted in her favor, enabling her to relocate to Los Angeles while spending weekends and summers in Sacramento. Towards the end of her high school years, E.A. penned down that Susan had phoned her, informing her that she was near death.

Susan died at age 49 in 2002 after battling bone cancer.

Tom seldom discusses his divorce experience. During an interview in 2020, he referred to that period as “extremely agonizing,” sharing how it affected him, E.A., and Colin.

In an interview on “In Depth with Graham Bensinger,” the star of Saving Private Ryan admitted that he feels he’s fallen short both as a father and as a person. He emphasized that one key lesson he’s learned from parenting is to create a worry-free environment for children, allowing them to enjoy their childhood without the weight of adult concerns until they are ready to shoulder those responsibilities themselves.

TopMob News has reached out to Tom’s rep and has not received comment about E.A.’s memoir.

2025-04-05 01:17

Tom Hanks’ Daughter Reveals Shocking Truth About Her Childhood

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