5 Shocking Truths About Samantha Dillingham: The Tragic Life Of Tom Hanks' First Wife And Her Daughter’s Recent Revelations

The name Samantha Dillingham is intrinsically linked to one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Tom Hanks, but her own story is a poignant, tragic, and often-overlooked chapter in the Hanks family history. While she was known professionally as Samantha Lewes, her life as an actress, wife, and mother was fraught with personal struggles that have only recently come to light. This article, updated for December 2025, dives deep into her biography, her relationship with the Oscar-winning actor, and the startling new details revealed by her own daughter, Elizabeth Ann Hanks, which paint a complex and painful picture of her final years.

The most current and compelling information surrounding Samantha Dillingham focuses on the recent memoir/essay by her daughter, E.A. Hanks, who has bravely opened up about growing up with a "troubled mom" after her parents' high-profile divorce. These revelations offer a fresh, though heartbreaking, perspective on the private demons Samantha battled until her untimely death, moving the narrative beyond her status as "Tom Hanks' ex-wife" to recognize her as a complex individual.

Complete Biography and Profile: Susan Jane Dillingham (Samantha Lewes)

Samantha Dillingham was an American actress who primarily used the stage name Samantha Lewes. Her life, though relatively short, was marked by her early relationship with Tom Hanks and her subsequent struggles, which her children have only recently begun to speak about publicly.

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• Full Birth Name: Susan Jane Dillingham
• Stage Name: Samantha Lewes
• Born: November 29, 1952
• Birthplace: San Diego, California, USA
• Died: March 12, 2002
• Place of Death: Sacramento, California
• Cause of Death: Bone Cancer (Some sources have incorrectly cited lung cancer, but bone cancer is the widely accepted cause.)
• Spouse: Tom Hanks (m. 1978; div. 1987)
• Children: Colin Hanks (b. 1977) and Elizabeth Ann Hanks (E.A. Hanks) (b. 1982)
• Occupation: Actress
• Notable Roles: Guest role in the TV series Bosom Buddies (1981) and the film Mr. Success (1984).

The Untold Story of Her Life with Tom Hanks and Early Career

Samantha Dillingham, as Susan Dillingham, met Tom Hanks while they were both drama students at California State University, Sacramento (CSUS) in the early 1970s. Their relationship began quickly, and their first child, Colin Hanks, was born in 1977, a year before they were married in 1978. Samantha was often credited as Samantha Lewes during her brief acting career.

She appeared alongside Tom Hanks in a 1981 episode of the popular sitcom Bosom Buddies, which was Hanks' breakout role. Her other notable credit was the 1984 film Mr. Success. Despite their shared professional ambition and two children, the marriage began to unravel as Tom Hanks' career skyrocketed.

The couple finalized their divorce in 1987, after which Samantha received primary custody of their two children, Colin and Elizabeth Ann. Tom Hanks went on to marry actress Rita Wilson in 1988, a relationship that has become one of Hollywood's most enduring. While the public narrative of the divorce was often framed around Hanks' subsequent success, the private reality for Samantha and her children was far more challenging, as new information reveals.

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The Tragic Final Years and Her Daughter's Recent Revelations

The most compelling and recent updates about Samantha Dillingham come from her daughter, Elizabeth Ann Hanks (E.A. Hanks), who has written openly about her childhood in the wake of her mother's death. E.A. Hanks described her mother as a "troubled mom" who suffered from mental illness and a serious cocaine addiction, which created a chaotic and often "abusive" environment for the children.

E.A. Hanks's account provides a painful look at the years following the divorce, where she and her brother, Colin, lived with a mother who was battling severe personal demons. The revelations suggest that Samantha's struggles were significant and deeply affected her children, a side of the story that had been largely kept private for decades.

Tragically, Samantha Dillingham was diagnosed with bone cancer, which ultimately claimed her life on March 12, 2002, at the age of 49. Despite their divorce and the personal difficulties, Tom Hanks reportedly stepped in to help Samantha during her illness, covering her medical expenses and arranging for specialists to provide care. This act of support underscores the complex and enduring connection between the former couple, even as Samantha battled her terminal illness in her final years.

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Her legacy now lives on through her two successful children. Colin Hanks has followed in his father's footsteps as a respected actor, and Elizabeth Ann Hanks is an author and editor whose recent writings have brought a new, raw honesty to the public's understanding of her mother's life. The family's willingness to share this difficult truth has cemented Samantha Dillingham's place not just as a footnote in a superstar's life, but as a woman whose personal struggles and legacy continue to resonate.

In summary, Samantha Dillingham's story is a powerful reminder that behind every public figure, there are private lives marked by both light and shadow. Her tragic passing from bone cancer in 2002, and the recent, honest accounts from her children, ensure that her memory is preserved with a deeper, more empathetic understanding of the challenges she faced.