Why Is Chet Hanks Stuck in Colombia? Passport Mix-Up Leaves Actor Stranded

Proud nepo baby, Chet Hanks, has found himself in a sticky situation. Chet says he’s currently stranded in Medellín, Colombia, after a passport mix-up that turned a quick trip into an unexpected blunder.

Chet is the son of Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson. Tom also has two older children — Colin Hanks and Elizabeth Ann Hanks — from his first marriage to Samantha Lewes, plus another son with Rita, Truman Hanks. But Chet has been in the public eye for years for a mix of acting roles, music projects, and headline-making social media moments, including his current Colombian mishap.

In an Instagram video posted Feb. 27, Chet told followers he’s “literally stuck in Colombia” and begged, “Free me.” He said he flew to Puerto Rico for a friend’s birthday. He then made a last-minute hop to Medellín to visit a friend. Instead of bringing his U.S. passport, he traveled with a Greek passport because his U.S. passport was close to expiring. When he tried to fly back to the U.S., he said airline staff told him that if he entered on a foreign passport, he would need a green card. He does not have one because he is a U.S. citizen.

"I go to check into my flight three hours early, this is an international flight, and they tell me that if I’m using a foreign passport, I need a green card to get back into America," Chet said.

The rules piece is real. The U.S. Department of State says U.S. nationals, including dual nationals, must enter and leave the United States using a valid U.S. passport. That requirement is what’s keeping Chet from simply hopping on a flight home.

Chet has a Greek passport because his parents, Tom and Rita, became honorary Greek citizens in 2020. As a result, Chet also obtained both Greek and U.S. passports. That dual status allowed him to travel internationally on his Greek passport in the first place. However, U.S. law still requires American citizens to enter and leave the United States using a valid U.S. passport.

As for Tom’s reaction to Chet’s past antics, the Oscar-winning actor has not made a habit of publicly commenting on every viral headline involving his son. However, when asked years ago about Chet’s struggles with substance use, Tom made it clear he will support his son “unconditionally.”

"As a parent, you love your kids unconditionally. You support them every step of the way,” Tom told Entertainment Tonight. "You got to applaud the bravery and honesty when it actually comes out of your own house.”