“I just knew, man, if I don’t change my life in a drastic way, either I’m not even going to be around or something bad, so bad, is going to happen that my life might as well be over,” says the son of Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson.
Chet Hanks has opened up about how he lost nearly 30 pounds in just three days after going on a cocaine binge.
The son of Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson revealed on Tuesday’s episode of Surreal Life: Villa of Secrets that the scary incident was enough for him to go to rehab.
“Two years ago today, I was coming off a three-day coke binge where I didn’t eat, sleep, or barely drink any water for three days straight,” the 34-year-old said.
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Why Chet Hanks Felt ‘F–king Worthless’ Growing Up as Tom Hanks’ Son, Found ‘Healing’ on Surreal Life (Exclusive)
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“When I got to Vegas, I weighed 190 pounds. At the end of it, I weighed 163,” he continued. “I lost 27 pounds in three days, so my disease is gnarly. It’s not pretty.”
It was at that moment where he felt he had hit “rock bottom” and checked himself into a rehab center to help him on his journey out of his addiction.
“I went straight from Vegas and checked myself into rehab, again,” the Atlanta alum added. “Here I am, 31 years old, broke, strung out, sucked up, just skinny, just at rock bottom,” he recalled to castmate Tyler Posey.
“I just knew, man, if I don’t change my life in a drastic way, either I’m not even going to be around or something bad, so bad, is going to happen that my life might as well be over.”
During the conversation with his fellow castmates, Hanks said that he was celebrating two years of sobriety.
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Chet Hanks Says Drug Habit Was So Bad ‘Cokeheads’ Were Telling Him to ‘Chill, Bro’
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This is not the first time Hanks has been transparent about his past with drugs.
He went as far as to compare himself to Al Pacino’s Scarface character Tony Montana when it came to his obsession with cocaine.
“I’m a f–king cokehead, straight up,” he said on an episode of Bradley Martyn’s Raw Talk podcast in July, before quickly clarifying, “Not anymore, but that is my drug of choice — cocaine, bro, like Tony Montana!”
He said that it got to where he’d recognize his fellow addicts and how he’d run into them while clubbing and try to hit them up. “You’re like, ‘I know this dude’s a f–king cokehead, but I want a little bump,'” Chet recalled.
While there was a time where he “couldn’t get enough,” with his addiction taking control of his life, Chet said he’s come to realize that it’s not only “so bad” for the body and his heart, but also his “soul.”
“It’s terrible. It eats away,” he told Martyn. “You just, like, wither away ’cause you can’t eat, you can’t sleep.”
Chet’s struggle with addiction began back when he was just 16 years old. A year later, Hanks said his famous parents sent him to a wilderness program in Utah.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, get help. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline (1-800-662-4357) provides 24/7, free, confidential support for people in distress.
