Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson very much top the lists when it comes to successful celebrity marriages, but many do no often know that Rita Wilson was Tom Hank’s second wife.
Was Samantha Lewes Tom Hanks first Wife?
Before Rita Wilson, Tom Hanks was married to Samantha Lewes, an actress that starred with Tom in the 1980 TV series Bosom Buddies that launched Tom’s career. Very private about her own life, there are very few details about Samantha’s childhood. Many
It is known that she was born to John Raymond Dillingham and Harriet Hall Dillingham in California on November 29th, 1952.
Samantha met Tom in the 70s when they were both students at the California State University at Sacramento. Tom studied at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts, and they were both smitten with each other. Samantha, like Tom, also pursued acting.
After their university years, they lived together, where Samantha soon became pregnant. On November 24, 1977, Colin Hanks was born, who later grew up to be a famous actor starring in Roswell (1999) and The Good Guys (2010).
A year later, Samantha and Tom solidified their bond as they walked down the aisle together hand in hand in a small wedding. In 1982, the two had another child: a daughter this time around. The daughter was named Elizabeth Ann Hanks.
She, too, went on to star in movies including the renowned 1994 movie Forrest Gump. Although they initially enjoyed a happy life together, problems arose that shook their marriage. 2 years after the birth of Elizabeth, the two ended up living separately before finally calling off their marriage in 1987, 3 years later.
While Tom focused on work and later married Rita Wilson, Samantha Lewes seemed to have disappeared as she withdrew from media coverage and lived a very low profile life. She took care of her two kids, Elizabeth and Colin.
Samantha Lewes Death
Despite the divorce, Tom would once again meet Samantha Lewes. Unfortunately for Lewes, she was suffering from bone cancer, and her health was failing. Tom met with her and supported her through this trying time but sadly, she lost the fight passing away at the age of 49 on 12th March 2002.
And she died in her residence in her home state of California and was buried in the East Lawn Memorial Park in Sacramento County.
While the story of Samantha Lewes is indeed a sad one, it is comforting to know that her two kids continue her legacy and are making a name for themselves.
