Tom Hanks, Wife Rita Wilson Test Positive for Coronavirus
Actor Tom Hanks and his wife, actress and country singer Rita Wilson, have tested positive for coronavirus. They currently being treated in Australia, where they're working on a movie about Elvis Presley's life.
Hanks shared the news on Instagram, explaining his and Wilson's symptoms. They were tested out of caution — the tests both came back positive.
"Well, now. What to do next?" Hanks asks. "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?"
Both Hanks and Wilson are 63 years old. The couple have been married since 1988 and have two children together.
In 2019, Wilson released a country album called Halfway to Home and talked to Taste of Country Nights about the project, specifically a song called "Throw Me a Party."
“I had been diagnosed with breast cancer four years ago, and when I got the diagnosis, I didn’t know what the prognosis was going to be,” Wilson told Taste of Country Nights last April. “I got scared and I said to my husband (Tom Hanks) that, ‘Look, if something happened to me and I should go before you, please be sad for a very long time, but first, I want a party. I want to have a celebration.' So I had this title, ‘Throw Me a Party.'”
Liz Rose and Kristian Bush of Sugarland helped Wilson write the song. She would later tour with Bush on a co-headlining tour. Prior to the release of the album, Wilson made her Grand Ole Opry debut in October 2018 during the annual Opry Goes Pink event to raise awareness for breast cancer. She battled cancer in 2015.
Hanks and Wilson become the most well-known coronavirus victims, but earlier on Wednesday (March 11) NBA player Rudy Gobert with the Utah Jazz also tested positive. As a result, the NBA has suspended its season until further notice.
While postponements and cancelations have been rolling in since SXSW canceled for 2020 earlier this month, Wednesday has been the most turbulent day in the United States yet. The NCAA announced that it's Division I college basketball tournament would be played with no fans in attendance. Additionally, RodeoHouston was canceled, and both the CMA Festival and ACM Awards announced they are monitoring the spread of coronavirus and working closely with the CDC to plan their next move.
See a full list of canceled, delayed or monitored events relevant to country music fans below.
What's Going to Happen to the ACM Awards?
Coronavirus Pandemic: Which Tours and Festivals Are Canceled (and Not)?