Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson Have Coronavirus, They Confirmed

The Museum of Modern Art Film Benefit: A Tribute to Tom Hanks

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published 12 March 2020

Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson have tested positive for coronavirus after becoming ill in Australia.
Hanks confirmed the news in a statement on social media.
The couple will "be tested, observed, and isolated for as long as public health and safety requires," Hanks said.

Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson have both tested positive for coronavirus, Hanks confirmed in a statement posted on Instagram and Twitter. The couple were in Australia, where Hanks was working on a movie about Elvis Presley, when they became ill.

"Hello, folks. Rita and I are down here in Australia," Hanks wrote on Instagram. "We felt a bit tired, like we had colds, and some body aches. Rita had some chills that came and went. Slight fevers too. To play things right, as is needed in the world right now, we were tested for the Coronavirus, and were found to be positive."

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"Well, now. What to do next?" he continued. "The Medical Officials have protocols that must be followed. We Hanks’ will be tested, observed, and isolated for as long as public health and safety requires. Not much more to it than a one-day-at-a-time approach, no?"

"We’ll keep the world posted and updated," Hanks finished the statement. "Take care of yourselves! Hanx!"

Warner Bros. confirmed (opens in new tab) to CNN that the Elvis Presley movie—in which Hanks will play the singer's manager, Colonel Tom Parker—was in pre-production when Hanks and Wilson became ill. "We are working closely with the appropriate Australian health agencies to identify and contact anyone who may have come in direct contact with the individual," the media conglomerate said in a statement. "The health and safety of our company members is always our top priority, and we are taking precautions to protect everyone who works on our productions around the world."

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Emily Dixon is a British journalist who’s contributed to CNN, Teen Vogue, Time, Glamour, The Guardian, Wonderland, The Big Roundtable, Bust, and more, on everything from mental health to fashion to political activism to feminist zine collectives. She’s also a committed Beyoncé, Kacey Musgraves, and Tracee Ellis Ross fan, an enthusiastic but terrible ballet dancer, and a proud Geordie lass.