Tom Hanks' Son Chet Praised For Getting Vulnerable About Growing Up 'Privileged'

Chet Hanks received support from social media users after opening up about the ups and downs of growing up with famous parents.

In a new YouTube video, the 31-year-old son of Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson got vulnerable about the good and bad parts of his childhood in the spotlight, revealing that he felt "ashamed" and "insecure" about growing up "privileged."

Chet emphasized in the video that he was very blessed, loves his parents and wouldn't change his situation "for anything."

However, he admitted that growing up with famous parents was also a "double-edged sword" as it "created a lot of contempt" for him from those who felt that he hadn't done anything to deserve any recognition.

Chet appeared to impress a number of fans and social media users, who praised him for getting real and showing vulnerability in the video.

"This video was an absolute reaffirmation for me to get on a higher level of thinking with how I go about life," one person commented on his YouTube video. "You can't please everyone so make sure you're happy and those people will find you! Life will only get better when you know you have love and support!"

"Well said, man. Thank you for your vulnerability, it means a lot," another wrote.

"This is such a good video. It's so honest. So vulnerable. I appreciate your honesty!" a third user wrote.

Another viewer said they saw Chet's "hard work" and were happy to see the real him through his channel.

"Listened to the video. He had some good insights about himself and didn't disrespect his dad. Seems to be maturing," one person wrote on Twitter.

"I get what he's saying. It must be hard to have real friends when your dad is Tom Hanks, he just didn't handle it well," another wrote. "Don't be ashamed for being privileged. He should've done something productive with it as to not waste the good fortune. He still has time at least."

In his video, Chet said people would usually assume he was a "really arrogant, entitled, spoiled brat" before meeting him because of who his parents are. However, he insisted that his father and mother never spoiled him and always encouraged him to work for his money instead of directly giving him an allowance.

Chet admitted that he was made to "feel worthless" for most of his life because of the privilege he has experienced but added that he's now starting to feel that he doesn't have anything to prove to anyone.

He vowed that he will no longer go down the "self-destructive" road through partying, alcohol and substances and is now focused on "doing the work and being the best me I can be."

Last year, Chet faced intense backlash for his anti-vax tirade on social media following his parents' experiences with COVID-19.

The "Shameless" star said in an Instagram video that he's tired of wearing masks during the pandemic and downplayed the coronavirus as "the flu." Chet also said he wanted COVID-19 vaccination to be a "choice" rather than a "requirement to perform our basic rights."

Hanks and Wilson were among the first Hollywood actors at the start of the pandemic in 2020 to reveal they had contracted COVID-19. The "Forrest Gump" star later announced that he and his wife were willing to donate their blood for coronavirus vaccine research.