Recently, Rita Wilson opened up about her cancer battle. Amid that, take a look at her decades-long relationship with her husband, Tom Hanks.
Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson are one of the most loved and celebrated couples of Hollywood. Currently, actress, Rita Wilson is dominating the headlines after she opened up about her cancer battle. For the unversed, she was diagnosed with invasive lobular carcinoma in 2015. Recently, Rita Wilson shared that she had two wishes from her husband.
After Rita Wilson's recent revelations, all the attention has shifted towards the love story of Rita and Tom. For the unversed, they first met in 1981 and after staying friends for a few years, they tied the knot in 1988. Today, it's been nearly four decades that they have been together and they share two children. Amid the same, if you too are curious about their relationship, we've got you covered!
According to a report by People Magazine, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson first met in 1981, on the set of the sitcom named Bosom Buddies. For the unversed, Tom was an important part of the show, while Rita had a guest appearance. Even though Tom Hanks was married at that time, he bonded well with Rita. Decades later, in 2020, Rita Wilson had a conversation with Kelly Clarkson, during which she explained:
"One of the things, when we met, was that we just got along instantly. First of all, I love a good storyteller. So anybody who could tell a good story, I'm down with that. ... I love that. He makes me laugh all the time. He's a great storyteller."
Later, in 1985, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson reunited for their first film, Volunteers. It is worth mentioning that the movie was widely praised for their chemistry. Later, Tom Hanks revealed that there was an instant spark between them, which couldn’t be denied. The next year, in 1986, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson made their red-carpet debut as a couple, even though the former was not legally divorced.
Tom Hanks officially got divorce from his ex-wife, Samantha Lewes in 1987 and the following year, in 1988, he tied the knot with Rita Wilson. The actress opted for an iconic and untraditional short dress for her big day. At that time, Tom spoke about his wedding and shared:
"The success of our relationship was a matter of timing, maturity and our willingness to have an intimate connection. When I married Rita, I thought, 'This is going to require some change on my part.' I won't deny that providence was part of us finding each other, but our relationship isn't magic — the way it's shown in movies. In real life, our connection is as concrete as me sitting here. Not that marriage doesn't come close to being hell in a handbasket sometimes. But we both know that no matter what, we'll be with each other — and we'll get through it."
Two years after their marriage, Tom and Rita embraced parenthood with the birth of their son, Chester ‘Chet’ Hanks. It is worth mentioning that like his parents, Chester, too went on to become an actor. Over the years, he has appeared in projects like Empire, Shameless, Fantastic Four, Greyhound and more. Later, in 1995, the couple completed their family with the birth of their second son, Truman Theodore Hanks, who is also a successful actor.
According to the same report by People Magazine, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson have supported each other through good and bad times. In the past two-three decades, both Tom and Rita have often shown up for each other. However, in 2015, their relationship came across a major test, when Rita Wilson was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had undergone a double mastectomy and reconstruction. At that time, in a conversation with the New York Times, Rita explained:
"You never know how your spouse is going to react in a situation like this. I was so amazed, so blown away by the care my husband gave me ... who knew it would make you even closer?"
Decades later, in 2026, Rita Wilson had a conversation with Demi Moore, in which the actress revealed that she had two wishes from him. Explaining the same, Rita said, "But I said to Tom, I'm like, ‘Okay, if, if something happens and I go first, I just have two requests. And one is that you should be sad for a very, very long time. The second one was throw me a party. I want it to be a celebration of life. I want it to be about people telling stories and joy and, remembering me in that way. And I think people, a lot of people want that, you know? I think there's room for that."
What are your thoughts on Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, amid the latter’s recent revelations about her health? Let us know.
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