Chet Hanks Looks Back on His Past Drug Use: Even ‘Cokeheads’ Told Me to ‘Chill’
Chet Hanks still can’t believe how serious his drug use got at one point in his life.
"The drug I had the most problem with was just f—king coke. I'm a f—king cokehead, straight-up,” Hanks, 33, shared in a June episode of the “Bradley Martyn's Raw Talk” podcast. “I would go do coke with the cokeheads and they would be telling me, like, ‘Yo, chill, bro. Wait a second. Give it like 15 minutes.’ I couldn’t get enough of that.”
While The Surreal Life star made it clear he doesn’t do cocaine anymore, there was a time when he identified with Al Pacino's Tony Montana from the 1983 movie Scarface. The character ran a drug cartel and was known for the amount of cocaine he used throughout the film.
"It's terrible. It eats away at you,” Hanks shared when discussing the drug. “You just, like, wither away 'cause you can't eat. You can't sleep."
Chet Hanks’ Ups and Downs Over the Years: Addiction Struggles, Relationship With Parents and More
During his candid interview, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson’s son also discussed portions of his childhood. In 2008, when he was a junior in high school, Chet recalled a moment when he was sent to a program in Southern Utah for troubled teenagers.
"I wake up in the morning. It's 4 o'clock in the morning and there's two huge f—king dudes standing at the foot of my bed, looking at me,” he shared. “And they go, ‘You're coming with us.'"
According to Chet, his parents became concerned when they noticed “an abrupt change” in their son. While he was a “good, innocent” kid for so many years, he started “branching out” and getting into some trouble.
“It was just regular teenage s—t man. Smoking weed, getting drunk, doing stupid s—t,” he explained. “I love my parents. I love my dad and mom so much. This is just water under the bridge.”
While it’s unclear what specific program Chet participated in, he remembered going somewhere “in the middle of the most desolate parts of America.” At one point during his stay, he tried to escape, recalling, “That didn’t go well.”
Today, Chet continues to have a relationship with his parents. He’s also set to appear in the new season of MTV’s The Surreal Life: Villa of Secrets, where he is expected to share more about his childhood.
Chet Hanks and Dad Tom Hanks’ Ups and Downs Through the Years: Inside Their Relationship Dynamic
According to a new trailer for the reality show, however, the musician will also have some fun when he gets a little flirty with fellow houseguest Kim Zolciak–Biermann.
The Surreal Life premieres Tuesday, July 23, on MTV.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
