Tom Hanks’ son Chet begs to be ‘freed’ from Colombia as he claims he’s trapped without a US passport

Tom Hanks’ son Chet Hanks has taken to social media with a dramatic plea for help, claiming he’s stranded overseas without a valid US passport.

The 35-year-old nepo baby, fresh off a viral dog rescue, sent Instagram into a frenzy Friday after a simple trip to visit friends descended into total travel chaos. 

Hanks said he flew from Puerto Rico to Medellín, Colombia – but when he attempted to return to the States, he was allegedly stopped at the airport because his American passport was close to expiring.

‘I’m traveling with my Greek passport because I’m a dual citizen,’ explained the son of Hanks and Rita Wilson, adding that he chose not to use his US passport since it’s ‘about to expire.’

He claimed that even passports nearing expiration can sometimes cause issues at border control.

‘I go to the airport to check in for my flight three hours early,’ he said, before alleging staff informed him that if he was entering the US on a foreign passport, he would need a green card.

‘This is an international flight. They tell me that if I’m using a foreign passport, I need a green card to get back into America,’ Hanks said in the clip.

The Surreal Life star then explained that he doesn’t have a green card because he’s ‘an American citizen,’ leaving him ‘literally stuck in Colombia. I’m stuck in Medellín.’

He added: ‘Granted, there’s worse places to be stuck, but I literally have no f****** idea what I’m gonna do, and the only embassy to get this s***settled is in Bogotá.’

He said he doesn’t ‘want to go to Bogotá,’ roughly an hour from Medellín by plane, begging for someone to ‘just free me.’ 

Reactions to Hanks’ dramatic plea were mixed across social media, with some followers expressing sympathy for his predicament while others couldn’t resist a little humour.

A handful of fans pointed out the irony of the situation given his famous father’s movie legacy, joking about Cast Away and FedEx delivery woes, while others offered practical suggestions about getting travel documents sorted. 

Despite the passport chaos, Hanks didn’t seem to let his overseas troubles slow him down entirely. 

On Friday he posted a string of Instagram Stories from a Medellín nightclub, showing himself dancing and surrounded by partygoers. 

The artist has carved out a persona that thrives on unpredictability. 

As the eldest son of Hollywood royalty, Hanks has never been shy about living his life in full view of the internet. 

Hanks, 69, is dad to Colin, 48, and Elizabeth, 43, with his first wife, Samantha Lewes, as well as Chet and Truman, 30, with Wilson. 

But unlike his father’s straight‑down‑the‑middle Hollywood trajectory, Chet’s path has been more eclectic, to say the least. 

Over the years, Chet has been intensely open about his struggles – particularly his battle with substance use. 

In past years he marked sobriety milestones on social platforms, celebrating stretches of being clean and reflecting on the hard work it took to get there. 

In 2024, he marked two years of sobriety with thoughtful posts about how meaningful that accomplishment was after years of ups and downs.  On the professional front, Chet has been making strides in entertainment. 

He stars alongside Kate Hudson in the Netflix series Running Point, playing point guard and aspiring rapper Travis Bugg. 

He’s also part of the country duo Something Out West, which made headlines last year when his father appeared in their music video, recreating iconic scenes from Forrest Gump for their song You Better Run.