Tom Hanks’ daughter details extent of ‘physical violence’ from mother while growing up
Tom Hanks' only daughter has accused her mother of 'physical violence' growing up, after documenting her experiences with childhood neglect.
Elizabeth Anne (E.A) Hanks, 42, has alleged in her new book The 10: A Memoir of Family and the Open Road that her childhood was full of 'confusion, violence, and deprivation'.
E. A. is one of two children Hanks raised with Samantha Lewes (real name Susan Dillingham), the other being her brother Colin Hanks, now 47.
Advert
It was allegedly after the divorce from her Oscar-winning husband in the 80s, that Lewes became neglectful towards her children.
She gained full custody of the kids following the separation, and relocated her family from Los Angeles to Sacramento in California.
The move took Hanks by surprise, but he still made an effort to see his children as much as possible.
Writing in her book, E.A. said: "My dad came to pick us up from school and we're not there. And it turns out we haven't been there for two weeks and he has to track us down."
Elizabeth noted that their family home was once a house with 'columns, a backyard with a pool, and a bedroom with pictures of horses plastered on every wall', but quickly stank of smoke.
Reflecting on the alleged abuse, she added: "As the years went on, the backyard became so full of dog s**t that you couldn’t walk around it."
But it wasn't just neglect and mental abuse that the children faced, Elizabeth documented that her mother was physically violent with the little ones.
She said: "One night, her emotional violence became physical violence."
Opening up further about the neglect, she added: "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."
The writer lived with her mother until she was 12 years old, before the custody arrangement was reversed and she moved to live with her father in L.A.
Samantha died of lung cancer in 2002 at the age of 49.
Tom Hanks has largely not spoken about his ex-wife publicly, but briefly spoke about being a father during a 2001 interview with Oprah Winfrey.
The actor said: "All that most parents hope is that their children are happy, funny, well adjusted, and have a passion for something in their lives.
"My kids understand that they’re not operating in a normal world, yet there are principles they have to adhere to that are normal - like decency, choosing between right and wrong, and honesty."
Mia Williams