Tom Hanks' Wife Rita Wilson Had A Close Relationship With Her Mom: 'She Was My Best Friend'

Rita Wilson has lived a storied life, filled with many ups and downs. The ups include her decades long marriage to Tom Hanks and the downs include various health issues, such as her breast cancer diagnosis. Another considerable "down" was the loss of her mother, Dorothy, in 2014, but Wilson continues to be resilient in the face of everything she's been through. In a 2026 interview with People, Wilson talked about her relationship with her mother. "Even though she was my best friend, and I thought I had asked her everything that I could possibly want to ask her, still there's things I wish I had asked her, that I wish I had known," said Wilson.

Other evidence of Wilson's close relationship with her mom includes a 2025 Mother's Day tribute post on Instagram. Wilson captioned the post sweetly, calling her mom "an extraordinary woman" and a "gift." The photo appears to be a vintage photo of Wilson, her mom, her dad, her sister Lily Reeves, and her brother Chris Wilson. Based on the background, it's likely that the photo is from when the family lived in Los Angeles.

Rita Wilson and husband Tom Hanks have talked openly about loving their grandparent status. Interestingly, Wilson guest wrote a HuffPost piece in 2014 about how she learned everything she knows about being a grandparent from her parents. In the article, Wilson explained that even though she grew up having mostly no connection to her grandparents, she learned how to take on the role by observing how patient and present her mom and dad were.

Wilson detailed how her parents spent a lot of time with the kids, teaching them Greek, pushing them around in a stroller, and showing up for any milestones the kids achieved. She then explained how, by observing her parents, she learned what role she should take on with her grandkids. "During those years, I observed how to be a confidante, not a rule maker or enforcer, and to have no judgment," wrote Wilson.

The post evenly talks about both her mom and dad, but it's telling that Wilson ended the post by specifically mentioning that her "mom was right." You're not supposed to say you have a favorite parent, of course, but it's clear that Wilson's relationship with her mom was very special.