Tom Hanks‘ daughter, E.A. Hanks has opened up about her deep connection with Rita Wilson, whom she sees as far more than just a stepmother. Elizabeth Anne, 42, is the daughter of Hollywood actor Tom, 68, and his late ex-wife Susan Dillingham.
She has now shared her truth about her difficult childhood in her new memoir, titled, The 10: A Memoir of Family and the Open Road. Elizabeth Anne, who goes by E.A, has shared a rare glimpse into her early years and has revealed that she now has a close, motherly bond with step-mum Rita, 68.
In a new interview with People, she spoke candidly about how pivotal the Sleepless In Seattle actress has been throughout her life. “When I say my parents, I really mean my dad and Rita because they’ve been together since before I can really remember,” E.A. said. “They’ve been together since I was 4 or 5. Rita’s not really a stepmother, she’s my other mother.”
Lovebirds Tom and Rita first began dating in 1986, shortly after Tom’s divorce from Susan. His first wife died from bone cancer in 2002 at the age of 49, when Elizabeth was just 19-years-old.
Following Susan’s death, Tom first crossed paths with Rita in 1981 on the set of Bosom Buddies, and by 1988, they were married. Together, they welcomed two sons, Chet, now 34, and Truman, 29. Tom also shares a son, Colin, 47, with Susan, who was known professionally as Samantha Lewes.
While her memories of life with Tom and Rita are warm, Elizabeth’s childhood with her late mother, Susan was far more complex. In her memoir, she details the alleged abuse she endured after her parents’ split in 1985, when Susan gained primary custody of her and she and her brother Colin and relocated them from Los Angeles to Sacramento.
She recalls those years, between the ages of five and fourteen, as a time “filled with confusion, violence, deprivation, and love.” One passage paints a stark picture of life in their home: “As the years went on, the backyard became so full of dog s**t that you couldn’t walk around it,” she wrote.
“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. One night, her emotional violence became physical violence.”
Throughout those turbulent years, Elizabeth found support and protection in her older brother Colin. “I think that when you share an experience, like our childhood, it’s a bond of intimacy that is hard to describe,” she shared. “Easy to maintain and really compensated for the lack of attachment I was getting elsewhere.”
Actor Tom married Susan in 1978. At the time, Tom was still chasing his career in Hollywood. But it wasn’t meant to be, as after nine years of marriage, the couple called it quits, separating in 1987. Their marriage was a part of Tom’s early life, before he rose to fame and became a household name.
The Mirror has reached out to Tom Hanks’ representatives for comment.
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