Dubbed "America's Dad", Tom Hanks is regarded as one of the nicest guys in Hollywood, even if he did inexplicably spawn Chet. Accordingly, the elder Hanks appears to be the least likely guy to stir controversy. But somehow, the esteemed Oscar-winner has managed to rouse contention due to his tendency to make bizarre Instagram posts, usually involving random objects he has found on his walks.
The actor's unusual social media posts have led to numerous salacious rumors and outlandish conspiracy theories. But the truth couldn't be any further from the Insta comments section and multiple dubious Reddit threads. Here we explain Tom Hanks' bizarre Instagram posts.
10 What Are The Bizarre Posts?
With 9.4 million Instagram followers, Tom Hanks certainly has an enormous platform with which he can share his unusual hobbies. One such pastime is taking photos of lost objects that he finds in numerous locations. Most of the lost items are gloves, but sometimes he finds shoes, socks, and even discarded clipboards. Every post features a pithy, cryptic caption, signed off with "Hanx".
Having weird hobbies is actually not uncommon. For instance, Amanda Seyfried collects taxidermy animals, while Angelina Jolie collects knives, both of which are decidedly stranger than snapping photos of stray gloves.
9 Here's What Fans Are Saying
Fans are somewhat divided over the posts. A number of fans are confused and find the actor's hobby to be "weird". Meanwhile, many others have defended him. "What's up with all the hate in Tom Hanks' Instagram comments?" asked one user on Reddit.
8 There Have Been Ridiculous Conspiracy Theories
The seemingly innocuous posts have led to a series of frankly absurd conspiracy theories. Conspiracists have alleged that the posts exhibit Hanks' flagrant admission of various sex crimes, with suggestions that the objects he finds are "mementos" of said crimes. These claims are both unsubstantiated and wholly unfounded.
7 It didn't Take Long For Outlandish Rumors To Spread
Soon enough, the rumors spread like wildfire. Tom Hanks now finds himself the unwitting victim of an alt-right Qanon conspiracy theory that he leads a cabal of sexual deviants, all of whom are supposedly Hollywood liberals. The theory claims that Donald Trump is trying to expose the ring, despite the fact that he himself has been accused of sexual misconduct.
Furthermore, supporters of this conspiracy have made the false assertion that Hanks' name was on Jeffrey Epstein's flight logs. Hanks' name never appeared on the flight logs and there is no known connection whatsoever between him and the deceased pedophile financier.
6 Chet Defended His Dad Against The Trolls
When he's not advocating for a "white boy summer", Chet Hanks is actually super protective of his parents in spite of his frat boy persona.
Taking aim at right-wing conspiracy theorists in an Instagram video, the younger Hanks fumed, "You mother****ers are going to believe what you want 'cause you're already so ****ing committed to your weird internet conspiracies."
5 He Had To Disable All His Instagram Comments
The constant barrage of hate in the comments section left Tom Hanks with no choice but to stop people from commenting on his posts. In a sad but perhaps inevitable move, Hanks has disabled all his Instagram comments. He also had to disable tagging due to constantly being tagged in disturbing posts.
"Imagine being accused of something this horrible without any evidence at all," lamented one fan on Reddit. "Well, a picture of a glove on Instagram makes him a pedophile. Mankind is really screwed."
4 The Truth Is, He's Just Eccentric
Many actors are eccentric. In fact, it's often a tendency towards eccentricity that draws people towards working within the entertainment industry. From Marlon Brando using his Oscar as a doorstop to, well, pretty much anything Gary Busey has ever done, some actors are just quirky. Being different to the perceived societal normal is not tantamount to sinister or illegal activity.
3 He Denounced Hollywood Predators
Tom Hanks has been one of the most sincere and vocal critics against Harvey Weinstein, so the notion that he's a predator is absurd. In an impassioned interview at the height of MeToo, Hanks denounced Harvey Weinstein and other Hollywood abusers.
When asked about sexual misconduct in Hollywood, Hanks told NPR that "it's a tragedy -- it's still a crime," later denouncing men who "think it's okay to manipulate those under them in a sexual manner under the guise of either helping or hindering their career."
2 Tom Hanks Has A Quirky Sense Of Humor
Those familiar with Tom Hanks will know that he is famed for his quirky sense of humor. From posing with sleeping fans to pranking his co-stars, Hanks has a mischievous sense of fun. It's likely that the unusual social media posts are hilarious to those who know him well, but odd to outsiders.
1 The Dangers Of The Spread Of Misinformation
Equating weird hobbies with serious crimes is spurious at best, and extremely dangerous at worst. But it was worryingly easy for the misinformation to spread and lead to innumerable subreddits and Twitter accounts dedicated to spewing theory as fact.
The truth is, misinformation is more present than ever due to social media. Unfortunately for Tom Hanks, he was on the receiving end of it.