Rita Wilson Asked Husband Tom Hanks For Two Specific Things After Her 2015 Cancer Diagnosis

Rita Wilson's longstanding relationship with Tom Hanks has made them one of the most popular power couples in Hollywood, even despite its low-key nature. You could see just how beloved they were when there was an outpouring of shock and sadness upon them being among the celebrities who tested positive for coronavirus early in the pandemic. Both recovered, but notably, it wasn't the first time that the A-listers had been faced with a stressful diagnosis — Wilson's health issues included a breast cancer diagnosis in 2015. 

She considered the worst case scenario that she might die before her husband, and the "Runaway Bride" star understandably wanted to make sure that Hanks handled the loss in a certain way, if it came to that. At the "Sound of a Woman: Rita Wilson in Conversation with Demi Moore" event held by 92NY in April 2026, the prolific actor detailed exactly what she had told Hanks he should do in the wake of her death. "One is that you should be sad for a very, very long time," Wilson confirmed. "The second one was throw me a party. I want it to be a celebration of life. I want it to be about people telling stories and joy and, remembering me in that way. And I think people, a lot of people want that, you know?" (via People).

It's quite the relatable sentiment, though it's one that few people want to ever have to think about. An insider source who's reportedly close to the beloved couple disclosed to Radar Online that these requests left Hanks distressed: "What struck him most was not just the gravity of her illness but the specificity of her wishes — it forced him to confront a reality he had never allowed himself to imagine."

In 2015, Rita Wilson underwent a double mastectomy to treat her breast cancer, followed by a reconstruction. In an interview with People, she thanked Tom Hanks for being by her side through it all. The "Jingle All the Way" star also recommended getting checked regularly, alongside obtaining a second opinion if you're concerned (Wilson's diagnosis came only after a second doctor took a look at her pathology). On March 31, 2025, the beloved star celebrated 10 years of being cancer free on Instagram. Wilson is among the many celebs who have been bravely honest about their breast cancer. "These parts of your body that had been there for you in such a beautiful way were gone," she admitted to People in 2026. "I'm very grateful that there are things nowadays in modern medicine like reconstruction and implants, because in my mom's generation, if you had breast cancer, that was it. There was nothing. You were left with sort of a shadow."

Her diagnosis inspired the singer too. "Throw Me a Party," which came out in 2019 as part of Wilson's "Halfway to Home" album," explains exactly how she wants people to celebrate after she passes. And on her sixth studio album, "Sound of a Woman, the song "Whose Body Is This?" features lyrics where she's addressing herself in the mirror: "I treated you well, I did my best / But you gave me no choice to get this off my chest / I'm still standing cuz I learned how to bend / My story isn't over, it's nowhere near the end." It also includes a discussion of how motherhood and pregnancy changed her body; Wilson is mom to Chet and Truman Hanks, two of Tom Hanks' four kids.