Veteran Hollywood actor Tom Hanks has spoken out in support of his daughter, EA Hanks, following the release of her deeply personal memoir, The 10: A Memoir of Family and the Open Road. The book lays bare years of emotional and physical abuse she allegedly suffered at the hands of her mother, late actress Samantha Lewes (born Susan Dillingham), after her parents’ divorce in 1987.
Speaking at the red carpet premiere of his new film, The Phoenician Scheme, Hanks, 68, expressed admiration for his daughter’s courage in confronting her past.
“I’m not surprised that my daughter had the wherewithal as well as the curiosity to examine this thing that I think she was incredibly honest about,” Hanks told People magazine. “Families come from checkered, cracked lives.”
He also reflected on fatherhood, noting that a parent can often sense a child’s essence early on.
“She’s a knockout, always has been,” he said. “If you’ve had kids, you realise that you see who they are when they’re about six weeks old.”
In her memoir, Elizabeth Anne “EA” Hanks, now an author and journalist, recounts a childhood marked by neglect and trauma, particularly after moving in full-time with her mother post-divorce.
“From 5 to 14, years filled with confusion, violence, deprivation, and love,” she writes, recalling visits to her father and stepmother on weekends and summers.
She describes living in a deteriorating household: a filthy environment, an often empty or spoiled refrigerator, and a mother increasingly withdrawn into religious obsession.
“The house stank of smoke… my mother spent more and more time in her big four-poster bed, poring over the Bible.”
The emotional toll eventually gave way to physical abuse, prompting EA to leave home and move to Los Angeles in seventh grade. Her custody arrangement shifted thereafter.
The memoir also recounts a disturbing phone call from her mother during high school, in which Lewes claimed to be dying. Though never medically confirmed, EA suspects her mother may have suffered from undiagnosed bipolar disorder, describing her behavior as paranoid and delusional.
Despite the pain, EA says the memoir was a form of catharsis and a way to understand the complexity of her past.
Tom Hanks’s Latest Role in The Phoenician Scheme
In addition to discussing his daughter’s memoir, Hanks shared insights on his new film, The Phoenician Scheme, where he stars as Leland, a business associate of Zsa-zsa Korda, played by Benicio Del Toro.
The thriller explores corporate betrayal and personal vendettas and features a powerful ensemble cast including Mia Threapleton, Michael Cera, Willem Dafoe, and Scarlett Johansson. The film released in select theatres on May 30, with a wider release set for June 6.
Tom Hanks, known for his authenticity both on and off screen, continues to support his children’s creative expressions—even when they involve deeply painful family truths.