The ‘Tom Hanks is dead’ conspiracy seems to have started with an Instagram post during the COVID-19 lockdown from actress Kirsten Dunst.

It’s an innocent photo of a child’s doll lying face down on the carpet, in what looks to be a living room. The doll is Woody from Toy Story and Dunst gives no explanation for the post apart from indicating the photo was taken in Auckland on April 20, 2020.

But it’s the huge number of comments underneath the Woody photo which truly raises eyebrows. Thousands of comments such as, ‘Tom Hanks is dead!!’ (@castro_304), ‘Tom RIP’ (@lorenacamahom), ‘Hanks is down’, (@jedi.elsa) and ‘Guess there was a snake in his boot after all…’ (@lamisma_morena_11)

Is this an in-joke? Could the picture of Woody lying face down symbolise something? Why are so many people commenting that Tom Hanks is dead when he’s very much alive?

Further digging on Twitter reveals there’s a corner of online conspirators who believe that this ‘theory’ dates back further to March this year when Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson were in Australia. Hanks was one of the first high-profile celebrities to publicly state that he tested positive for the Coronavirus and was subsequently quarantined on the Gold Coast.

Hanks was in Australia to shoot the Baz Luhrmann biopic Elvis, playing the character of Colonel Tom Parker, but the virus meant the production was shut down before filming could begin. The Hollywood actor and his wife spent a fortnight in isolation before heading back to the United States.

Photos of the couple were released when they touched down on American soil. However, the conspirators believe Hanks never returned to the United States at all, but ‘died from lethal injection in Australia’ or ‘He died in Guantanamo Bay after being unexpectedly being arrested in Australia’ – WTF?

Twitter runs deep with further accusations

“I believe he’s dead. His brother has impersonated him on and off for years. Hanks once stated it in an interview.” @beth22774385

“Hey @ritawilson, can you please post a video of you and your husband together. Just so I can shut up a few friends. There is some crazy conspiracy going around that Tom Hanks is dead.” @zai85479761

“Go to his Insta and tell me the last time you have actually seen a picture of his face outside of his house… house arrest or shit dead, it’s right there but no one talks about it.” @ArianaaGracia11

instagram comment about Tom Hanks

Interestingly, as of mid-May, Hanks closed all public commenting on his personal Instagram account. The posts prior to this date show many bizarre and twisted wisecracks from an online posse who won’t give the guy, (who is often touted the nicest man in Hollywood), a break.

Elsewhere on Twitter, many digital ‘sleuths’ tie in a video post from Ellen Degeneres dated March 20, 2020 to Hanks.

In the video Ellen is attempting to perfect a card trick shown to her by magician David Blaine. She attempts to turn a five of spades card into a 4 of hearts by shaking it, but ultimately fails. ‘David, it doesn’t work. I can’t do it,’ she says in the video.

Check out Ellen in the jumper which sent the ‘Hanks is dead’ believers into overdrive:

The public comments on this particular post mostly focus on the windcheater Ellen is wearing. It looks to say, ‘Run Forest’ and this has the ‘Hanks is dead’ believers into overdrive:

“Ellen, why does your sweatshirt say ‘Run Forest?’, I mean I know, but do those who still adore you know the truth?” @Zgrl888

“Yes, she’s signalling Tom Hanks but there’s nowhere to run to!” @happyjack225

(And just to clarify, we here at Tone Deaf reckon the shirt says ‘Rain Forest’)

On YouTube, the peculiar story continues with a man called Frank Romanez Jr presenting a twenty-something part series called ‘Tom Hanks is Missing’.

Check out ‘Tom Hanks Is Missing’ below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pa3sT9GNz0

Romanez analyses everything from Hanks’ social media posts, (many of which feature lost shoes, gloves and socks), his recent guest hosting of SNL to Rita Wilson’s appearances on talk TV.

It cobbles together what he believes is a decode which indicates Hanks is in hiding. Nothing of course is backed with facts or sources but if anything, Romanez Jr’s arguments provide some amusing conspiracies.

Romanez even goes on to suggest that somebody else is posting on Hank’s social media accounts.

frank tom hanks youtube

Hanks hasn’t publicly commented on any of these bizarre death rumours, nor has he responded to any of the statements posed to him by other social media users. His 30 year old son, Chet Hanks, however, has been very vocal.

“You motherfuckers are on some other shit!… I’m fucking pissed off at what you motherfuckers are saying about my family… the ridiculous, sick fucking shit.. is fucking disgusting!”

So what is the obsession with declaring Hanks dead?

Maybe we need to go back to Kirsten Dunst’s original Instagram post to gain more clues. But Dunst ‘aint giving us much to go on.

The photo of Woody laying face down on the floor remains a curious post. For Hanks fans trying to make sense of it all, to quote the famous Woody line, “Somebody’s poisoned the waterhole.”

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Jane Gazzo

Jane Gazzo is a lauded broadcaster, TV presenter, music journalist, author of John Farnham: The Untold Story, and public speaker. She is Chair of the Australian Music Vault Advisory Committee and a Board Member of The Push Victoria.