Tom Hanks’ Son Opens Up About Feeling ‘Worthless’ Growing Up With Celebrity Parents

The premiere episode of MTV’s Surreal Life: Villa of Secrets features Tom Hanks’ son, Chet, detailing life as a child of celebrity parents. Although the idea of having rich and famous parents may seem like a privilege on the outside, Chet hated it and struggled with low self-esteem as a result.

He felt like his identity was tied to his father’s, giving him a sense of isolation and a lack of confidence in his abilities. Chet is the third of Hanks’ four children, including his brother Truman Theodore, and half-siblings Elizabeth Ann and Colin Lewes.

Chet Hanks felt worthless growing up with famous parents

Chet was born to Hanks and his second wife, Rita Wilson, in 1990. He got his entertainment start in music as a student at Northwestern University, where he adopted the stage moniker Chet Haze. He then appeared on Fox Series Empire, delivering his role as rapper Blake Sterling impressively, thanks to his dad’s advice to show up and be nice to everyone.

Behind the glam, Chet struggled with substance abuse since he was 16 and became sober in a few years after checking into rehab in 2014. Chet, who is a father of one, could not be more grateful for his daughter, Michaiah, who inspired him to be more responsible. The 33-year-old currently runs a personal training company named HanxFit, which he launched in 2022.

For Chet, growing up under famous parents was a “double-edged sword,” especially because most people assumed he was a brat. If anything, Chet never had access to handouts and was taught to earn most of what he owns. He admitted to enjoying some privileges; however, his upbringing was far from that of a nepo baby.

Making friends was also difficult for Chet, who often encountered people who automatically felt threatened by his background. Thankfully, he had managed to work through the confusing emotions of being a Hanks and is now charting a course of his own in the entertainment industry.