Tom Hanks' Son Turned His Life around for Baby Daughter He Secretly Welcomed: 'She's the Reason'

Publish date: 2024-05-18

One of Tom Hanks's sons, Chester, aka Chet Hanx, nearly lost his way following his addiction problem. But this black sheep was blessed with supportive parents and welcomed a secret child, making it easier to make a 360 turn. Look at his life now.

Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, are a perfect celebrity couple with no blemish! The pair married on April 30, 1988. Although this became the actor's second marriage, it was destined to last forever!

After many years together, the "Toy Story" actor is still in awe of his beloved wife. In an interview, Tom gushed about marrying an incredible woman of Greek origin. He spoke highly of her background, adding that she was born in Hollywood, California, and is "marvelous."

Chet Hanks attends the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards on January 05, 2020. | Source: Getty Images

Wilson, an actress, is also a doting mother to two of Tom's kids. The couple welcomed their first son, Chester, popularly called Chet, in August 1990. While Chet was their first child, he was the actor's third child. Tom already shared a son, Colin, and a daughter, Elizabeth, with his first wife, Samantha Lewes.

Five years later, another son joined the family. After The "Forrest Gump" star welcomed his fourth child, he confessed that childbirth is no joke. Tom mentioned that his duty as a father was not as overwhelming as a mother's.

This influenced his decision to support his wife unconditionally; Tom, present in the delivery room with Wilson, also claimed that "it's very different having your first child when you're 21 and your fourth kid at the age of 39. I'm a little calmer about how things are going."

HOW CHET HANDLED HIS PARENTS' FAME

It was obvious that Tom was ready to be involved in his kids' lives from the start. Despite his busy schedule and fame, the actor, alongside his wife, raised their children with core values. It did not matter whether they were privileged or could afford all the luxury; the celebrity parents never indulged their kids.

During a thirteen-minute video on "Hanxfit," a youtube channel run by their first son, fans found out unfiltered truths about Tom and Wilson's parenting.

Tom Hanks, son Chester Hanks and Rita Wilson attend the "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" New York premiere at the Ziegfeld Theater on December 15, 2011 in New York City | Source: Getty Images

Chet, a musician, shared never-before-heard revelations about how he enjoyed the good things of life; luxury getaways and meeting famous people. He admitted that he is grateful for the opportunities from his parents.

"My parents didn't spoil me. I was never just given money or an allowance; I had to work and earn everything I made. It's been that way for my entire life, and I'm grateful for that," he said.

In the same clip, Chet maintained that fame also adversely affected him. He developed hatred toward having a dad that had been placed on a pedestal, and somehow, he wanted to prove himself.

Unfortunately, it led him down a wrong path— he became an addict. The way he dealt with his anger destroyed his reputation and self-confidence.

Chet explained that "Fame is the most powerful drug known to man. It can also be the most destructive." Once he fully realized this fact, he became ready to change.

Thankfully, he succeeded in the transformation and became passionate about sharing his story to inspire others. In his quest to help people and himself simultaneously, Chet was sincerely remorseful and apologized to those he may have hurt in the past.

He remained thankful for not losing himself entirely to the addiction and was confident that he needed to speak up for many to understand the risk of doing drugs. In his words, "I could easily be dead or in jail right now."

Amid his determination to make a turnaround, Chet also had parents who threw in their unrelenting support. Tom admitted that being a parent meant showing up for his kids whenever needed. He and Wilson were by Chet's side, cheering him on and nodding to his bravery and honesty.

THE "SECRET" BABY WHO INSPIRED CHET

Chet had always wanted to rebrand himself; he had the will but not enough power. Ultimately, he found the right motivation upon discovering that he would welcome a child.

The singer admitted that he knew it was time to move on before officially becoming a dad. Thankfully, Chet left his baggage behind and never looked back. He maintained:

"She's the best thing that's ever happened to me, she's the reason why I turned my life around."

In April 2016, he and Tiffany Miles, a black woman, welcomed their daughter, Michaiah. Despite the happy news of his daughter's birth, Chet did not share it immediately. When he did, the musician praised his secret baby for fueling him to become a better man.

There is no timeline of Chet and Miles's romance, but sources confirmed that they were not dating when their daughter was born.

However, they seem to agree on one thing: prioritizing their child. Michaiah's parents are co-parenting amicably, and on a few occasions, Miles has been seen on outings with her mini-me. It appears that Chet has a friendly relationship with the mother of his child. He referred to her as a nice lady and a "great mom."

CHET'S LIFE WITH MICAIAH NOW

Chet Hanks, Rita Wilson, Tom Hanks and Truman Hanks attend the ceremony honoring Rita Wilson with Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on March 29, 2019 in Hollywood, California | Source: Getty Images

Becoming a father at 26 was the most precious gift Chet ever received. It brought orderliness to his life, leading him to become more responsible.

Chet agreed that such responsibilities forced him to grow, but ultimately, he considered it a "beautiful process, and it's a blessing to be able to grow yourself as you watch your kids grow."

Indeed, Tom's son has since immersed himself in fatherhood, sharing memorable experiences with his growing child. Chet has proudly discarded his privacy code and often shares sweet photos of himself and the fast-growing princess via Instagram.

Michaiah was confirmed to be Tom's look-alike after a fan saw her with her mother. She is also surrounded by loving grandparents who are in awe of her and all their grandkids.

While speaking about their three grandkids, the couple jokingly stated that they are "cool grandparents" with young, entertaining grandkids who are not in awe of their famous grandparents.

Chet revealed that his parents are scoring great points with Michaiah because of their awesomeness— they regularly call in to babysit! The father-of-one recalled being close to his grandparents, adding that feels great for his daughter to have such experiences.

Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson are an inspiration; however, their son proves it takes love and determination to be a better person. While he may have fallen short in the past, he worked his way to redemption, and today, he is a worthy inspiration.

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