Chet Hanks Lost Nearly 30 Pounds During 3-Day-Long Cocaine Binge Before Getting Sober
Chet Hanks once lost nearly 30 pounds in three days due to a cocaine-fueled binge that ended with the reality star checking himself into 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,” Chet, 34, shared during the Tuesday, August 13, episode of MTV’s Surreal Life: Villa of Secrets. “When I got to Vegas, I weighed 190 pounds. At the end of it, I weighed 163.”
Chet was looking back on his last binge after being reaching his second anniversary of getting sober. “I lost 27 pounds in three days, so my disease is gnarly. It’s not pretty,” he shared with housemates.
Chet, the son of Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, recalled leaving Las Vegas and checking himself straight into rehab. (Tom and Rita are also the parents of son Truman Hanks. Tom is a father to Colin Hanks and Elizabeth Ann Hanks from relationship with late wife Samantha Lewes.)
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“Here I am, 31 years old, broke, strung out, sucked up, just skinny, just at rock bottom,” Chet shared during the episode. “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.”
His drug of choice was cocaine. Chet admitted that he “couldn’t get enough” of it at the height of his addiction.
“I would go do coke with the cokeheads, and they would be telling me, like, ‘Yo, chill, bro. … Wait a second. Give it like 15 minutes,’” he continued, noting that he knew it was “so bad” but still did it.
“It’s terrible. It eats away [at you]. You just, like, wither away ’cause you can’t eat, you can’t sleep,” he said of the drug.
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Before making his reality TV debut on Surreal Life, Chet told Us Weekly exclusively that his famous parents “were supportive” of his participation in the show.
“It’s not messy and negative,” he explained. “It’s more about personal growth and relationships with people and vulnerability. It’s a completely different type of reality TV. I had full support in doing it.”
While teasing what fans could expect, Chet explained he wanted to “get the most out of the experience” so he focused on being “honest and transparent” while filming.
"I did get a lot out of it,” he told Us. “It was a great experience for me.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.