Tom Hanks shares ‘beautiful’ snap of wife Rita Wilson on 69th birthday

Tom Hanks is showing the world just how much he adores his wife, Rita Wilson. 

The Oscar-winning actor celebrated Wilson’s 69th birthday with a heartfelt Instagram post on Sunday, Oct. 26, sharing a sunny vacation photo of his wife smiling after a swim in the ocean.

“This beautiful woman celebrates her birthday TODAY,” Hanks wrote in the caption. “She is beloved by her husband. Happy Birthday, @ritawilson!”

Hanks and Wilson, who have been married since 1988, share two sons together, Chester “Chet” Marlon Hanks, 35, and Truman Theodore Hanks, 29. 

The Forrest Gump star is also dad to Colin, 47, and Elizabeth, 43, from his first marriage to the late Samantha Lewes.

The beloved Hollywood couple’s love story began in 1981 when they met on the set of Bosom Buddies. 

Their friendship turned into romance a few years later, and by 1986, they made their red carpet debut as a couple. Two years later, they tied the knot, and have been inseparable ever since.

In a 2001 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Hanks opened up about the secret to their lasting relationship. 

“The success of our relationship was a matter of timing, maturity and our willingness to have an intimate connection,” he said. 

“When I married Rita, I thought, ‘This is going to require some change on my part.’”

He added, “I won’t deny that providence was part of us finding each other, but our relationship isn’t magic, the way it’s shown in movies. In real life, our connection is as concrete as me sitting here. Not that marriage doesn’t come close to being hell in a handbasket sometimes. But we both know that no matter what, we’ll be with each other, and we’ll get through it.”

Over the years, both Hanks and Wilson have expressed their affection for each other publicly. 

Last year, when Hanks turned 67, Wilson shared a loving birthday tribute of her own, calling him her “lover,” “best friend,” and “family.”

“Happy Birthday to this man who is my lover, my best friend, my family, the father of my children,” she wrote. 

“He is one of the smartest people I know, has made me laugh every day for 38 years, can nap anywhere at anytime. Happy happy birthday my love!”

More than four decades after their first meeting, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson continue to prove that lasting love in Hollywood isn’t just a movie script, it’s real life.