Tom Hanks' COVID-19 Coronavirus Diagnosis

Submission 22,315

Part of a series on COVID-19 Pandemic. [View Related Entries]

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Overview

Tom Hanks' COVID-19 Coronavirus Diagnosis was announced on March 11th, 2020 in a series of social media posts by Academy Award-winning actor Tom Hanks. In the post, he said that he and his wife, actor Rita Wilson, felt ill during a trip to Australia, were tested and diagnosed with COVID-19 strain of coronavirus. Many online reacted with concern, posting memes expressing a desire for revenge and action against the virus.

Background

On March 11th, 2020, Tom Hanks posted from his verified Instagram ^[1] account that he and his wife, actor Rita Wilson, have been diagnosed with COVID-19 coronavirus. The post received more than 2.2 million likes in less than 24 hours (shown below, left). That day, Wilson posted a notice on the situation on her Instagram Stories^[2] (shown below, right). Both messages featured largely the same content.

Hanks wrote:

Rita and I are down here in Australia. We felt a bit tired, like we had colds, and some body aches. Rita had some chills that came and went. Slight fevers too. To play things right, as is needed in the world right now, we were tested for the Coronavirus, and were found to be positive.

Well, now. What to do next? The Medical Officials have protocols that must be followed. We Hanks’ will be tested, observed, and isolated for as long as public health and safety requires. Not much more to it than a one-day-at-a-time approach, no?

Developments

Online Reaction

Following the announcement, people reacted with concern for Hanks and Wilson. Twitter user @sloppyfemtop, for example, tweeted, "NOT TOM HANKS. NOT FORREST GUMP. NOT SHERIFF WOODY." The video, which featured a reaction of a woman crying, received more than 18,000 likes and 4,300 retweets in less than 24 hours (shown below).

Others joked about Hanks' disagnosis, which the actor announced during a confluence of major news stories. Twitter^[3] user @bellabee13 tweeted a "We Didn't Start the Fire" parody that reads, "Schools close, Tom Hanks, trouble in the big banks, no vaccine, quarantine, no more toilet paper seen. Travel ban, Weinstein, panic COVID-19, NBA, gone away, what else do I have to sayyyyyy." The post received more than 56,000 likes and 14,000 retweets in less than 24 hours (shown below, left).

Adult film studio Brazzers tweeted,^[4] "Hey @tomhanks @RitaWilson looks like you're going to have a lot of free time on your hands, we've got you covered. DM us for your login info" (shown below, center).

Some used the news to comment on the United States government's response to the pandemic. Twitter^[5] user @maxwellstrachan wrote, "just thankful tom hanks and rita wilson were outside the U.S. so they could get tested." The tweet received more than 52,000 likes and 5,300 retweets in less than 24 hours (shown below, right).

In addition, people began posting memes about the news. For example, @adam.the.creator posted a John Wick Reloading meme in response to the news that Hanks had been infected on Instagram.^[6] The post received more than 33,000 likes in less than 24 hours (shown below).

Media Coverage

Virtually every major news outlet reported the news about Hanks and Wilson, including The New York Times,^[7] Fox News, ^[8] CNN,^[9] BuzzFeed,^[10] The Atlantic^[11] and more.

Tom Hanks Holding Volley Ball Doctored Photograph

Following the news, the Australian satirical news website The Betoota Advocate^[12] published the joke article "Gold Coast Hospital Staff Roll In A Wilson Volleyball To Keep Tom Hanks Company In Quarantine." The post features a photograph of Hanks holding Wilson the volleyball from the film Cast Away. Some began posting the photograph as if it were a legitimate piece of news (shown below).^[10]

Chet Hanks Response

That night, Hanks and Wilson's son Chet posted a video on Instagram, stating that his parents were in good spirits and doing well (shown below).

Recovery and Plasma Donation

On April 18th, 2020, Tom Hanks appeared on NPR's Wait, Wait… Don't Tell Me!^[13] and detailed that he and Rita Wilson had tested positive for antibodies to the coronavirus and were "doing just dandy" after a tough recovery period. He also said the couple was volunteering their blood in the hopes of helping researchers develop a cure, or a "Hank-ccine," as the actor joked.

The news led to jokes about people being injected with Tom Hanks' blood, which were collected by eBaum's World.^[14]