No, Tom Hanks Wasn’t Arrested
The Claim
Actor Tom Hanks was arrested in Australia for pedophilia.
News posted on
Emerging story
In mid-July 2020, social media users began posting a claim that Hanks was “arrested in Australia for pedophilia.”
Misbar’s Analysis
The claim appears to be part of the larger QAnon conspiracy theory, which among other things purports that President Donald Trump is battling against celebrity pedophiles. QAnon’s theories have thus far been found to be completely false.
Hanks announced on March 11, 2020 that he and wife Rita Wilson had tested positive for COVID-19 while in Australia. The couple quarantined while they recovered and have since returned to Los Angeles.
Misbar’s investigation found that the photos used in the Facebook post were originally published in the Daily Mail in May 2020. Photo captions place Hanks in Los Angeles, not Australia.
Further, we could not find any criminal records on Hanks. The claim is a hoax.
