Tom Hanks' Daughter Breaks Silence on Her Turbulent Childhood – Their Father-Daughter Relationship in Photos

The famous Hollywood actor's second child said her mother was always very mysterious. Growing up with her mom was very different from the way her dad raised her.

Elizabeth Anne Hanks, who goes by E.A., wrote a book called "The 10: A Memoir of Family and the Open Road." In the book, she talked about her childhood with her mother, Samantha Lewes, who she believed had bipolar disorder and often seemed paranoid and confused.

The writer's famous father, Tom Hanks, spoke about her book during a red carpet interview with "Access Hollywood" at the premiere of "The Phoenician Scheme" in May 2025. When asked how he felt about the memoir, he said:

"It's a pride because, I think, she shares it with me, she's been very open about what the process is."

"I'm not surprised that my daughter had the where with all, as well as the curiosity, as well as, I'm going to say, perhaps, the shoot herself in the foot, where with all, in order to examine this thing that she was incredibly honest about," added the father of four.

He explained that everyone comes from complicated and imperfect lives, even if it might seem like someone with a famous last name works for a major global company. The veteran actor noted that his child understands this well and embraces every part of it. He described her as a brave and thoughtful writer, and is proud to call her his daughter.

Before her father's recent remarks, E.A. had already opened up in an earlier interview about how her journey began. When asked if she told her family about the book, she responded:

"Yeah, I think before I set out on this trip, the first thing I had to do was talk to my father and brother. Not necessarily ask for permission, but certainly kind of test out the thickness of the ice."

She thought carefully about how sharing her story might touch the lives of those closest to her. Tom and Colin were the first to read her work. Speaking about their reaction, E.A. said:

"And the best thing that I can say is that they found it to be an accurate description of who my mother was and their experiences of her as well."

E.A. mentioned that Tom once told her she had been up the tramway while Samantha was pregnant with her. She explained that any detail about her biological family felt like finding a lost piece of something important, saying it was like discovering "a scrap of paper from a presumed-lost sacred text."

In "The 10: A Memoir of Family and the Open Road," E.A. took readers on a personal journey that lasted six months, driving from Los Angeles to Palatka, Florida. Her goal was to uncover more about her mother's life and try to understand the struggles she faced. The road trip followed Interstate 10, a path filled with memories tied to Samantha's past.

Back in the 1970s, Tom and Samantha, born Susan Dillingham, met while studying theater at Sacramento State University. Their bond grew quickly, and in 1978, they tied the knot. The couple had two children — Colin, who is now 47, and E.A.

Their marriage lasted five years before ending in 1987. After the split, the actress was given primary custody. Colin and E.A. visited Tom on weekends and during summers. Things changed suddenly when Samantha, without any warning, moved the children from Los Angeles to Sacramento.

"My dad came to pick us up from school and we're not there," E.A. said. "And it turns out we haven't been there for two weeks and he has to track us down." Although Samantha was never formally diagnosed, E.A. believed her mother had bipolar disorder and often showed signs of paranoia and delusion.

After sharing how Tom had to search for them, E.A. offered more details about life with Samantha during those early years. What followed was a childhood filled with sharp contrasts — moments of care mixed with fear and unpredictability.

In an excerpt shared with People, E.A. wrote, "I am a kid from the First (non-famous) Marriage." E.A. said the only times she saw both parents together were at Colin's and her own high school graduations. She kept one photo of them with her in the middle, noting her mother's wig was a bit off.

The writer was born in Burbank, but after the split, Samantha moved the children to Sacramento. From age five to fourteen, she lived there, spending weekends and summers with Tom.

She described those years as a mix of struggle and affection, with memories of a white house, a pool, and horse posters on her bedroom walls. Those childhood memories, though warm in places, slowly gave way to more troubling ones as E.A. grew older.

The house grew messy — dog waste covered the yard, smoke filled the air, and the fridge was often empty or full of bad food. Samantha stayed in bed, reading the Bible. After one night turned violent, E.A. moved to Los Angeles in seventh grade to live with Tom, visiting Sacramento only during holidays.

At 14, E.A. and her mother drove across the country in a slow-moving Winnebago, following Interstate 10 to Florida. During her final year of high school, Samantha called to tell her she was dying. During a visit with her uncle Bruce and his wife Pat, E.A. opened up about painful memories tied to her mother's final days. The conversation brought up questions that had stayed quiet for years.

Samantha passed away from lung cancer in 2002 at age 49. In her book, E.A. wrote that she once believed no one wanted to speak to the "Hollywood kids" or deal with her mother, who she called "crazy." She remembered feeling that silence meant, "Don’t make me deal with this, don't make me responsible for you. Don't make me care more than my heart can handle."

Sitting on a sofa, she felt a sudden sense of relief — as if people she had long worried about were no longer tied to the pain she carried. But later that night, new questions kept her awake. She asked herself why no one came when Samantha was sick, why no one called after she died, and why no one reached out to help her or her brother.

The questions that kept E.A. up at night eventually led to deeper thoughts about her father's role during those years. She spoke openly about why Tom was unable to change what was happening in her childhood in an interview. The Los Angeles native explained:

"There was no aspect of how I grew up that was sort of mysterious to my dad. He was well aware of what was going on."

E.A. pointed out that while her book covers much about the towns along Interstate 10, there was little room to explain California's family laws at the time. She said there had been a long legal effort to remove her from Samantha's care.

But, as she described it, the system required proof of physical violence — without that, "there was really nothing we can do." After E.A. shared these truths about her childhood and the struggles her family faced, many readers responded with strong emotions. Her honesty struck a chord with those who followed her story closely.

One person commented, "I'm certain that isn't all she was exposed to." Another wrote, "It's scary on what goes on behind closed doors." Others expressed sympathy, "Very sad for her and her brother," and "No one knows what goes on behind closed doors."

E.A. Hanks' memoir offers a clear and honest look at her life with Samantha and the lasting impact of her childhood. Through her road trip and writing, she worked to understand the woman who raised her. Tom and Colin supported her journey and felt she captured the truth. The book also revealed how legal limits kept Tom from stepping in sooner. Many readers related to her story and shared how deeply it moved them.