Tom Hanks might be known as "America's dad," but he's also a real-life father of four, one of whom likes to stir up controversy now and again. The son of Tom and Rita Wilson, Chet Hanks, is facing backlash right now for comments he made on Instagram this weekend, noting he's expecting "a white boy summer."
While it's likely that Chet, who is an actor and also a rapper who goes by Chet Haze, was referencing something akin to rapper Megan Thee Stallion's hit 2019 song "Hot Girl Summer," "white boy summer" definitely didn't go over as well. Still, Chet is continuing to use the phrase on social media, and even got a response from a very popular celebrity.
Read on to see what Chet had to say, how exactly he explained "white boy summer," and the backlash he's received. And for more on the lows in his dad's life, check out The Worst Tom Hanks Movie of All Time, According to Critics.
Chet first posted about "white boy summer" on Friday, and it didn't take long for the backlash to hit.
Chet Hanks/InstagramOn Friday, March 26, Chet posted a video of himself sitting in a car, saying, "Hey, guys. I just wanted to tap in. I just got this feeling, man, that this summer is about to be a white boy summer. Take it how you want it. I’m not taking about Trump, NASCAR-type white. I’m talking about, you know, me, Jon B., Jack Harlow-type white boy summer." He concludes, "Let me know if you guys can vibe with that. And get ready, 'cause I am."
Jon B. is an R&B singer who was popular in the '90s and known for his songs "They Don't Know" and "Someone to Love." Harlow is a 23-year-old rapper, who released his first album in 2020. Both are white.
Chet also wrote in the caption, "Is it bout to be a #WhiteboySummer or am I trippin ???? Tag a REAL vanilla king #Respectfully."
Considering how different Chet is from his dad, check out more stars you might not know are family here: 13 Celebrities You Had No Idea Were Related.
Many responded that "white boy summer" sounded like a white supremacy call.
Chet Hanks/InstagramMany people responded to Chet's comments on Twitter, with the reactions ranging from making fun of him to finding his words offensive.
"I’m sorry but somebody needs to tell Chet Hanks that ‘white boy summer’ sounds like the title of a Netflix documentary about mass shootings," wrote one Twitter user. Another person responded to that tweet with: "I just told my friend it sounds like the announcement of a Klan convention in July." Another said, "Someone tell Chet Hanks that we’re already several thousand years into a white boy summer."
There were also a lot of comments about Chet and his father. "Chet Hanks could be an interesting subject for a nature vs nurture research project," wrote one user. "I physically can not [sic] imagine Chet Hanks and Tom Hanks talking to each other," wrote another.
Read about another celeb receiving backlash with Jeopardy! Fans Are Boycotting the Show Because of This Guest Host.
Still, Chet has continued to talk about "white boy summer" and even got a response from Rihanna.
Chet Hanks/InstagramIn a video posted on Saturday, March 27, Chet thanked everyone for giving "white boy summer" attention. "What’s up loved ones?" he said, again from a car. "Wow, white boy summer going up. It's fantastic. I love to see it. Thanks for making that a thing."
He continued, "They’ve been asking me, 'Chet, if it's going to be a white boy summer, does that make it a Black queen summer for you?' Uh, do you know me? 'Cause if you know me, you know that’s all year round." Chet has a daughter with a Black woman named Tiffany Miles. Not much else is publicly known about their relationship.
A major celeb replied to this video: Rihanna commented with three crying-laughing emoji.
In a third video, Chet talked about how "white boy summer" is about inclusion. "Having any ill will whatsoever from anyone that’s different than you, that’s not white boy summer." He also posted "a few rules and regs" for a "white boy summer" on his Instagram Story. These include not wearing Sperry Top-Siders—"That’s not the kind of white boys were talking about," he said. He also says no plaid shirts because "can’t be looking like a picnic table out here." Also, he says, "No calling girls 'smoke shows.'"
For more celebrity news delivered right to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
This is hardly Chet's first controversy.
Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic via Getty ImagesIn the past, Chet has been criticized for speaking with a Jamaican patois, including at the 2020 Golden Globe Awards, which he attended with his family. Chet also uses the accent in some of his recent videos.
In a Dec. 2020 conversation on the social media platform Clubhouse, he compared it to doing an English accent. Page Six reports that some people in the chat pointed out that English accents aren't offensive because "English people were not oppressed," but Chet maintained that he's not trying to "offend anybody."
And for another member of a famous family who's under fire, check out Meghan McCain Should "Lose [Her] Job" Amid These Comments, MSNBC Host Says.
