Chet Hanks, the son of acclaimed actors Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, is currently navigating a travel predicament after becoming stranded in Colombia due to a passport issue. The 35-year-old rapper and actor revealed via Instagram that he had flown to Puerto Rico to celebrate a friend’s birthday but decided to extend his trip to Medellin without realizing the complications that would arise from his travel decisions.
In his Instagram video posted last week, Hanks explained, “I’m in Puerto Rico, and we’re all about to leave. I go, Hmm, I’m only, you know, two, three hours away from Medellin. Why don’t I go pull up on my homie Taylor, who lives in Medellin? Fuck it. Yeah, sounds good, right?” His spontaneous decision proved problematic when he tried to return to the United States.
Hanks, who holds dual citizenship in the U.S. and Greece, was traveling on his Greek passport because his U.S. passport was nearing expiration. Upon arriving at the airport in Medellin, he learned that he needed his U.S. passport to re-enter the country. He shared, “They tell me that if I’m using a foreign passport, I need a green card to get back into America. I don’t have a green card because I’m an American citizen. I don’t have my American passport with me, so I’m literally stuck in Colombia.”
The actor, often described as the “black sheep” of the Hanks family, expressed frustration about the situation but maintained a sense of humor. He noted that the only U.S. embassy capable of assisting him was located in Bogota, approximately 260 miles away from Medellin. “I literally have no fucking idea what I’m gonna do…I don’t want to go to Bogota, so, yeah, free me,” he concluded in his video.
By Saturday, March 2, Hanks provided an update to his followers, assuring them that he was safe while remaining in Colombia. “ESTAMO BIEN,” he captioned a photo with R&B artist Max, indicating that he appeared to still be in Medellin.
In a subsequent video, Hanks discussed his challenges with insomnia and touched on various topics, including sobriety and a recent incident involving actor Shia LaBeouf. His screen career includes roles in popular television series such as Empire, Shameless, and Your Honor. Since rising to fame in the early 2010s, Hanks has cultivated a controversial online presence, famously declaring 2021 to be a “White Boy Summer” and sharing his views on political issues and social movements.
As he continues to address his travel challenges, Hanks’ situation serves as a reminder of the complexities involved in international travel, especially regarding documentation and unexpected decisions.
