Already have an account?
Get back to the
Celebrities

Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson Celebrate 35th Anniversary — Here’s What They Said About Their Marriage Milestone

The beloved Hollywood couple continues to grow in love.

Tags:

The love between Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson is ever-growing. On Sunday, the famous couple celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary. Wilson took to social media to share the milestone with her followers, who responded with an outpouring of love and well wishes.

On Twitter, the actress-singer posted a photo of Hanks lovingly staring at her while holding a cake decorated with the words “Happy Anniversary.” Wilson captioned it: “35 years of marriage. April 30, 1988. Love is everything.” Clearly, the romance between these two continues to burn bright, more than three decades after they wed.

Their Family Life

The pair met in 1981 when Wilson appeared in an episode of Bosom Buddies, Hanks’ short-lived sitcom with co-star Peter Scolari. According to Hanks, it was truly love at first sight. “When we first looked at each other there was definitely a kind of (pointing to camera), ‘Hey, this is the place!’ I felt that anyway,” he told ET Online in 2015. Hanks and Wilson’s friendship turned into a relationship when they began dating in 1986.

The couple tied the knot two years later, and Wilson became stepmom to Colin and Elizabeth — Hanks’ children from a previous marriage. Their family grew when they had two children together: Chester (better known as “Chet”) Hanks and Truman Theodore Hanks. Today, the pair is a one of precious few celebrity couples who has withstood the test of time.

Their Keys To a Long-Lasting Marriage

Marriage isn’t one-size-fits-all, but the couple has been candid about a key aspect of their relationship: supporting each other. Hanks has remained by Wilson’s side through many life-altering situations — from her 2015 breast cancer diagnosis to new music releases. This support is appreciated and reciprocated by Wilson, who encouraged Hanks’ early success while pausing her career to focus on family. “You know about schadenfreude, when you’re happy for someone’s failure? Well, there’s another concept called freudenfreude, which is when you’re happy for someone’s success. I live in the freudenfreude. Somebody else’s success does not diminish my own,” she said in a 2022 interview with People.

This — coupled with a desire to work through any issues they face — is the secret sauce in their recipe for marital longevity. “The success of our relationship was a matter of timing, maturity, and our willingness to have an intimate connection,” Hanks said in a 2001 interview with Oprah. The “aww-worthy” moments from this couple are endless, and prove that love endures with effort and affection. Happy 35th anniversary Tom and Rita!

Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items. Use right arrow key to move into submenus. Use escape to exit the menu. Use up and down arrow keys to explore. Use left arrow key to move back to the parent list.