Tom Hanks’ Daughter E.A. Hanks Details Violent Childhood With Mom Susan Dillingham

by

In easier terms, Tom Hanks’ daughter, Emily Hankey (E.A. Hanks), has recently shared details about the difficulties she faced during her childhood after her parents split up.

What did E.A. Hanks say about her childhood?

Information about Hanks is sourced from People, who recently unveiled a snippet of Hanks’ upcoming memoir titled “The 10: A Memoir of Family and The Open Road.” In this book, Hanks recounts various anecdotes from her childhood, such as having few memories of her parents being together.

As Tom Hanks explains, I am a child from his first, less-known marriage. My recollections of both my parents in the same location at the same time are limited to Colin’s high school graduation and then my own. There’s only one photograph of me sandwiched between my parents, where you can see that my mother’s best wig is slightly off-kilter.

Susan Hanks is Tom Hanks’ first-born daughter, who he shared with his former wife, Sophie Dillingham (then known as Samantha Lewes). They were theater students together at Sacramento State University in the 1970s. The couple had two children: Elizabeth Anne (E.A.) and Colin, Susan’s elder sibling. Tom and Sophie married in 1980, but they divorced in 1985, with Susan gaining primary custody of both children following their separation.

E.A. Hanks details living in Sacramento as a confusing time

Despite Tom’s visits with his children, E.A. recounts that one day, Susan suddenly uprooted the family from Los Angeles to Sacramento without informing anyone. E.A., who suspects her mother was bipolar, remembers those years (age 5-14) as being tumultuous, marked by “confusion, violence, scarcity, and affection.

In his own words, Hanks explains that he was initially born in Burbank, however, following the separation of his parents, he moved to Sacramento along with his mother and older brother. He shares that his childhood years in Los Angeles are hazy, but as a result of the divorce settlement, he would spend weekends and summers with his father, stepmother, and later his younger half-brothers. From age 5 to 14, Hanks describes these years as filled with confusion, violence, scarcity, and love; during this period, he considers himself a girl from Sacramento living in a house with columns, a backyard pool, and horse pictures adorning all the walls of his room.

As a devoted fan, I can share that Hanks’ account unfolds with poignant details about her own experiences. She recounts how her mother, over time, resorted to physical abuse against her, ultimately resulting in a shift of custody and E.A. finding herself in the bustling city of Los Angeles.

Over time, our backyard became so filthy with dog waste it was difficult to navigate, while our home reeked of smoke. The fridge was either empty or filled with spoiled food, and my mother spent an increasing amount of time in her large four-poster bed, engrossed in the Bible. One evening, her emotional abuse escalated into physical violence, leading me to relocate to Los Angeles squarely within the seventh grade.

My living situation changed significantly; I now resided in L.A., visiting Sacramento only on weekends and during summer vacations. When I turned 14, my mother and I embarked on a journey across America, traveling along Interstate 10 in a slow-moving Winnebago that swayed rhythmically as it trundled down the highway, giving off a sensation reminiscent of being on a ship.

Read More

2025-04-10 01:10