Tom Hanks Breaks Silence on Daughter’s Memoir About Growing Up in Violence and Deprivation
Renowned actor Tom Hanks has spoken out for the first time about his daughter E.A. Hanks’ memoir, The 10: A Memoir of Family and the Open Road, which details her experiences growing up in a household marred by emotional and physical abuse. The memoir, which was published on April 8, alleges that E.A.’s mother, actress Samantha Lewes, was abusive towards her.
According to an interview with Access Hollywood, Hanks, 68, addressed the abuse allegations during the red carpet premiere of his new film, The Phoenician Scheme, on May 26. "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 explained. "We all come from checkered, cracked lives, all of us."
Hanks’ daughter, E.A., whose real name is Elizabeth Anne, details her experiences with "emotional violence" and "physical violence" from her mother, whose real name is Susan Dillingham, after her parents’ divorce. Hanks and Dillingham were married from January 1978 until their divorce was finalized in 1987. Dillingham was granted primary custody, with E.A. and her siblings having designated weekend and summer visits with Hanks.
In an excerpt from her memoir, obtained by PEOPLE, E.A., 43, wrote, "I would visit my dad and stepmother (and soon enough my younger half brothers) on the weekends and during summers, but from 5 to 14, years filled with confusion, violence, deprivation, and love." She also described her home life, saying, "The backyard became so full of dog s— that you couldn’t walk around it, the house stank of smoke. The fridge was bare or full of expired food more often than not, and my mother spent more and more time in her big four-poster bed, poring over the Bible."
E.A. alleged that her mother’s abuse escalated over time, eventually becoming physical. She claimed that she moved to Los Angeles after one such incident, which led to a change in her custody arrangement. "One night, her emotional violence became physical violence, and in the aftermath I moved to Los Angeles, right smack in the middle of the seventh grade. My custody arrangement basically switched — now I lived in L.A. and visited Sacramento on the weekends and in the summer," she wrote.
Hanks has expressed pride in his daughter’s memoir, saying, "She’s a knockout, always has been. If you’ve had kids, you realize that you see who they are when they’re about 6 weeks old." He also praised her honesty, saying that she has shown "wherewithal" and "curiosity" in examining her experiences.
E.A.’s memoir also touches on her mother’s alleged struggles with mental health. She claimed that her mother, who was never diagnosed, was likely bipolar with episodes of extreme paranoia and delusion. In her senior year of high school, E.A. said her mother called to tell her she was dying.
Hanks’ latest film, The Phoenician Scheme, centers around a wealthy businessman who appoints his only daughter, a nun, as sole heir to his estate. The film, which was released in limited theaters on May 30 and will see a wide release on June 6, also stars Benicio Del Toro, Mia Threapleton, Michael Cera, Willem Dafoe, Bill Murray, and Scarlett Johansson.
The news was first reported by PEOPLE, which has been following the story closely. According to the publication, Hanks’ comments offer a rare glimpse into the actor’s personal life and his relationship with his daughter. As PEOPLE notes, E.A.’s memoir provides a candid look at her experiences growing up in a household affected by abuse.
As reported by PEOPLE, experts say that E.A.’s story highlights the complexities of family dynamics and the long-term effects of abuse on individuals. The memoir has sparked a wider conversation about the importance of speaking out about difficult experiences and seeking support.
This article has been sourced from PEOPLE, which has provided exclusive coverage of the story. As PEOPLE reports, Tom Hanks’ comments on his daughter’s memoir offer a poignant reminder of the complexities of family life and the power of speaking out about difficult experiences.
