Chet Hanks, the eldest son of Hollywood actors Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, has sparked an online reaction for his anti-vax rant. But who is he?
Why is Chet Hanks famous?
Chet, short for Chester, is an actor and musician, professionally known as Chet Hanx.
Despite having recurring roles in US TV shows Shameless and Empire, the 31-year-old has found limited success in Hollywood, unlike his famous parents.
Chet often describes himself as the black sheep of the family due to his substance abuse battles and run-ins with the law, compared to his dad’s clean-cut, nice guy image.
Who is Chet Hanks?
Chet Hanks is a father to daughter Michaiah, five, with ex-partner Tiffany Miles, who he credits and his parents to have helped him overcome his drink and drugs battles.
Earlier this year, a Texas judge granted his former girlfriend Kiana Parker a temporary protective order as she claimed months of verbal and physical abuse.
In March, he caused controversy after posting a video to his rap track ‘White Boy Summer’ whilst the track amassed over 100,000 views on YouTube. The merchandise he released to capitalise on the expression’s popularity was criticised for using a font similar to those used by white nationalists groups.
And, Chet, 31, was back in the news yesterday (August 10) after he launched a furious anti-vax tirade on Instagram about the Covid vaccine.
This came despite both his parents suffering from the virus in 2020.
He tells fans to “get over” Covid-19.
In the video, he says: “I’ve been kind of on the fence about this for a while. That’s why I never spoke on it, but with the amount of people I know recently who have gotten Covid and with the numbers rising, I think it’s important for me to say I got the vaccine.
“I think everyone should. I think it’s really important that we all do this just as citizens, as Americans, we have to look after each other and get this [situation] under control, guys.”
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Then without warning, the tone of the clip quickly changed to include a barrage of swear words.
He continued: “Psych, [bleep]! If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I’ve never had Covid. They ain’t sticking me with that [bleep] needle. It’s them [bleep] flu. Get over it.
“Why are we working around y’all? If you’re in danger, stay your [bleep] inside. I’m tired of wearing them [bleep] mask.”
His fans are unimpressed by video rant
But his followers soon hit back in disagreement.
One wrote: “Until you get Covid and wish you did.”
Another said: “Really. Glad you think this is a joke, and the worse part for you is wearing a mask.”
A third commented: “Are you really mocking people getting sick.”
His views are different entirely to those of his parents.
The couple shared regular updates while battling Covid to help raise awareness of the virus and its effects.
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