Tom Hanks Responds to Daughter E.A. Hanks’ Memoir, Where She Recalls a Childhood Marked by ‘Confusion’ and ‘Deprivation’

On May 29, during the red carpet premiere of “The Phoenician Scheme,” a reporter questioned Tom Hanks about “The 10: A Memoir of Family and the Open Road,” the deeply personal book his daughter, E.A. Hanks, published on April 8. The story dives into her unconventional childhood with her late mother, Susan Dillingham, after her parents’ 1985 divorce, stirring both media attention and public discussion.

In response to Access Hollywood’s question about the memoir, Tom appeared pleasantly surprised at first and swiftly praised his daughter, calling her “a knockout, always has been.”

He emphasized his pride in her willingness to confront the past so openly and described her process as deeply courageous and intellectually brave.

Speaking with the insight of a father and fellow artist, he said, “I’m not surprised that my daughter had the wherewithal, as well as the curiosity, as well as, I’m going to say, perhaps, the shoot herself in the foot wherewithal, in order to examine this thing that she was incredibly honest about.”

He then stated that individuals often experience “checkered, cracked lives” despite appearing to come from privileged backgrounds.

His daughter, he explained, acknowledges this reality and fully embraces all aspects of it. He praised anyone who could do that, saying they needed to be “a bold journalistic literary mind,” and was delighted to see that quality in E.A.

Tom and Susan met in the mid-1970s while studying theater at Sacramento State University. They married, had two children—Colin Hanks and E.A.—and divorced five years later.

Susan, who went by the stage name Samantha Lewes, was granted primary custody, leaving the children with their mother for most of the year and designated visits with their father.

According to E.A., this arrangement became unstable when her mother moved them without notice from Los Angeles to Sacramento. In her book, she shares that her father once went to pick them up from school only to discover they had not been there for two weeks and had to track them down.

Though her mother was never formally diagnosed, E.A. believes she suffered from bipolar disorder marked by extreme paranoia and delusion.

In her own words, the 43-year-old described her Sacramento childhood as a blend of affection, violence, and instability.

“Eventually a divorce agreement was settled, and 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, I was a Sacramento girl,” she wrote.

Her memories also include a white house with columns, a pool in the backyard, and walls plastered with horse posters. However, she recounts how that home’s condition deteriorated: “The backyard became so full of dog [expletive] that you couldn’t walk around it, the house stank of smoke.”

Additionally, their refrigerator was often either bare or filled with expired food, and her mother spent much of her time in bed, poring over the Bible.

The turning point came when emotional abuse turned physical, prompting E.A.’s move to Los Angeles in the middle of seventh grade. Her custody arrangement flipped; she now lived with her father and visited Sacramento occasionally.

However, at 14, she and her mother embarked on a cross-country road trip along Interstate 10 in a lumbering Winnebago. Her memoir centers on retracing that same route two decades after her mother’s death in 2002, an effort to uncover the truth about her mother’s past and, by extension, herself.

In an April 2025 interview with Access Hollywood, E.A. explained that she initially intended to write a magazine story about the political geography of the Southwest and Deep South.

However, while preparing for that project, she began uncovering her mother’s journals, which included vivid poetry and a harrowing account of witnessing a crime allegedly committed by Susan’s own father.

As both a daughter and a reporter, E.A. realized she had found the emotional and narrative fuel for a larger story. Before embarking on the road trip, she spoke with her father and brother.

Although she didn’t seek permission, she wanted to be transparent about how her exploration might intersect with their lives. Both men became her earliest readers and confirmed the accuracy of her descriptions.

In the interview, she confirmed how her early life was marked by extremes. At her mother’s house, meals ranged from gourmet dinners to “a dusty can of pâté” or fast food multiple times a week. In contrast, her Los Angeles life included stability, family meals, and even trips to the Oscars with her father.

At school, teachers submitted reports noting her lack of hygiene and clean clothes. She also stated that her father was well aware of what was happening in her mother’s household but was initially powerless to change custody due to California’s family laws at the time, which required tangible proof of physical violence.

Eventually, one physically violent incident solidified E.A.’s need to move in with her father primarily. In hindsight, she recognizes the protective role her older brother Colin played, saying she wouldn’t have been able to write the book without his support.

Additionally, her memoir reflects on how children in abusive or unstable households instinctively conceal their circumstances out of shame. She considered herself her mother’s protector, a role that shaped her personality and later career in journalism.

She says her first beat was her mother, studying her moods, gauging the energy in the house, and learning to diffuse tension.

Reactions to the memoir and Tom’s reaction to it have been varied, particularly online. On Facebook, one person wrote, “Very disappointed in hanks… not for this reason, but now, also for this reason.” Another added, “It’s scary on [sic] what goes on behind closed doors.” A third shared, “Very sad for her and her brother.”

Some were more pointed in their critique. One netizen wrote, “The most dangerous happenings are behind closed doors.” Another commented, “Daughter like father bold and literary and out spoken. Hank seems embarrassed and defensive but his daughters comments. [sic]”

Others voiced support for E.A. and suspicion toward the “Forrest Gump” actor. One Facebook commenter claimed, “I absolutely believe her! This guy has always given me fake nice vibes! Just a gut feeling.”

Meanwhile, on Instagram, reactions ranged from supportive to skeptical. Someone wrote, “Absolutely….👏” Another noted, “They’re very alike, aren’t they? Hanks is clearly not the only writer in the family.” A third chimed in, “Keep it to yourself 😮.”

Despite the divided reactions, the memoir has been well-received critically and is already a national bestseller. In her Access Hollywood interview, E.A. also shared what she hopes readers will take away: the value of asking questions about their origins.

“I think the big takeaway is that you don’t need a crazy mom and you certainly don’t need a famous dad to get curious about who you are and where you’re from,” she said.