Tom Hanks’s Niece Doesn’t Regret Her Claim to Fame Calamity

Marah Eakin is a journalist who writes about popular culture for various publications.

A visual representation created by Vulture; a picture taken by ABC. --- Rewritten: An image that has been illustrated by Vulture; a photograph captured by ABC.

Carly Reeves made quite an impression on the American public when she appeared on "Claim to Fame," a reality show where participants try to discover each other's famous relatives. Although she was eliminated first, she caused a stir not only because she was Tom Hanks' niece, but also because of the way she revealed her relationship to him. A video of her elimination went viral because she gushed about her uncle (who is married to Reeves' mother's sister, Rita Wilson) while also shouting insults and throwing a tantrum as she packed her things.

Complaining about a small bench on the show's clue wall, Reeves was caught speaking her mind on a hot microphone. She accused production of undermining her chances of winning while inflating her own ego. She also expressed dissatisfaction with her lack of camera time and participation on the show. This display of attitude was a stark contrast to Hanks' friendly and fatherly demeanor on the show, and it was shocking to witness such behavior from someone so close to him.

According to Reeves, her uncle wasn't bothered by the negative publicity. This is because one of Hanks' sons, Chet, is known for his problematic accent and controversial stance on vaccines. In fact, Reeves finds her bad press somewhat endearing compared to Chet's antics, such as his declaration of "White Boy Summer." Although Reeves did apologize to her uncle via text after the show aired, he didn't seem to care much about the situation. He didn't publicly address the issue, and Reeves believes it's because he wants to distance himself from reality TV. When she told him about her decision to go on the show, he simply encouraged her to follow her dreams and wished her luck.

What led you to appear on Claim to Fame? Did they reach out to you or did you submit an application? I submitted my application because I'm a huge fan of reality television. I think I might have been the only contestant who applied on their own initiative.

What's your connection with Tom? My link with Tom can be traced back to my maternal aunt, Rita Wilson. From the age of 4, he has been a part of my life. I even participated as a flower girl at their wedding. Given our long-standing relationship, we might even be more intimately connected than some of his biological family members.

Tom was pleased for me. He desired that our romance would improve my chances of appearing on the program.

Let's discuss the elimination. Did you believe that you were in danger of being voted off the show? Before the elimination round, Shayne Murphy (Eddie's daughter) asked me if I was nervous. I pretended I wasn't. I thought to myself, "Maybe they will choose me, but they will be wrong." However, I found out later that many people had talked about the possibility of me being related to Tom. When I voted for Hugo to guess, I hoped he wouldn't mention my name. But now I know that either J.R. or Hugo would have mentioned me, even if I didn't vote for Hugo.

It was a total surprise for me. I never imagined myself getting eliminated in the first round. It was a terrible feeling and left me completely heartbroken. I wanted to stay and continue playing because I didn't even get proper time to explore the game.

Can you share what you felt after getting eliminated? Initially, I tried to remain composed. However, as the timer began, my eyes started to fill up with tears, and it almost felt like I was having a panic attack. My breathing became short and quick, and I was hyperventilating, making it difficult for me to talk. I couldn't even hear what the Jonas Brothers were saying after Tom's photo was displayed. I didn't hear them ask me to say goodbye, so I left the stage without doing so. All I wanted was to leave the stage as soon as possible due to the intense sadness I felt.

I had a sense that they intentionally located me without difficulty. I believe they were aware of my eagerness to participate in the game and the likelihood of my intense response. I was clueless about the exact location I was supposed to go, which led me to take the stairs upwards. I shouted those alarmed words with the aim of making the crew aware of my agitation. None of the cast members did anything inappropriate, and my outburst towards them was unjustified due to my mental state.

Did you expect them to show your emotional outburst on TV? I had a suspicion they would. I attempted to redo my departure scene, but I had a hunch that they would stick with the first version. Afterwards, I attempted to convince myself that it wasn't that awful, but deep down, I knew it was. When I finally saw it, I couldn't help but laugh. I realize it caused a lot of individuals to dislike me, but I find it amusing.

What do you believe made individuals dislike you? I received numerous unpleasant DMs and comments full of malice. My statement about having more camera time was misinterpreted as me thinking I deserved it solely because of my uncle, Tom Hanks. However, that was not at all my intention. I simply thought that I would excel on the show due to my strong sense of humor and competitiveness.

Have you thought about how people see you? It's not like everyone said, "Carly Reeves had a breakdown." They said, "Tom Hanks' relative had a breakdown," which is why I said sorry. I apologized for possibly drawing too much attention to him, but he didn't mind. He doesn't like involving his family in his life, and even with Chet going through his problems, it's about Chet, not Tom. It's really nice. That's just how our family is. We're not all crazy, but we're all very emotional because we're actors.

Being related to a famous person can have its advantages and disadvantages. The experiences can be extreme - I've been able to do some amazing things, like sailing on a yacht in Greece and hanging out with the Spielbergs and Springsteens. It's definitely not a typical life. I once even had the chance to meet Hillary Clinton! However, now that we're all grown up, we take care of ourselves and pursue our own interests.

As someone who works as an actor, others often inquire why my family member who is also a famous actor doesn't offer assistance. However, it's not his responsibility to help me out. In fact, he's influenced me to strive harder and achieve success independently, which offers more personal fulfillment. It's a common misconception that wealthy relatives are obligated to provide support to their family members. The truth is, I reside in a simplistic apartment within Hollywood and juggle two jobs as a server and actor to make ends meet. Essentially, anything I have accomplished thus far has been through my own hard work and determination.

How did you get ready for the show? Did you plan on telling untruths? At first, I planned to use my Aunt Rita as my famous family member and got ready for it. Later, I was asked to use Tom instead, so I had to assess my plans again.

I had a hunch that if Tom was the first famous person to be revealed on the show, it would cause a stir since he's such a well-known figure. Considering that he has no background in reality TV, his appearance would be quite a surprise. I tried to come up with some ideas about what hints they could give out for him, just in case I needed to shift the guesses away from him and onto another well-known person. I thought I was ready for clues like a volleyball or chocolates, but I never even considered the idea of a bench. That bench really caught me off guard, it was impossible for me to deny that he was inside the house with us. I was an easy target since I had already given away some clues about myself in the game.

The seat may have been associated to Johnny Bench, the well-known athlete, but the other indications were not helpful. There were plenty of other signals that could have been given which would have made it more challenging. I had anticipated that they might feature some of his earlier films since many young people are not familiar with Big or Turner & Hooch, or any of those classic 80s movies. I questioned why they didn't start with Forrest Gump, which is well-known to everyone.

You were the singular individual who claimed to be kin with a famous Oscar-winning actor. If we polled everyday people and asked them to name a victor for the Best Actor Oscar, most would probably respond with Tom Hanks. Looking back, was it a misstep to divulge that hint? I would have taken another approach. To keep it fresh, I would have still mentioned that it was an Oscar win but altered either that particular prize or our bond. Additionally, I would have tried to switch up the gender, seeing as a lot of individuals presumed that I was related to a woman celebrity. It was a challenge. I struggled mightily when attempting to divert attention away from those clues.

Were there other contestants that you recognized before getting eliminated? Did you personally identify anyone else? I was aware that Dolly Parton was among the housemates as I spotted her name on the nine-to-five timecard displayed on the board. I might have eventually figured out her connection to someone else if I hadn't been eliminated so quickly.

Have you ever felt remorseful? Personally, I have no regrets for my sudden emotional expression. I tend to be straightforward and honest with my opinions. Those who witnessed it probably empathized with me as they too felt that the hints I provided were too obvious.

It was a bit of a jumble. A few folks supported my viewpoint, but others thought I was pampered. Nevertheless, my overall encounter was fantastic, and after I relaxed, everything was okay.

This conversation has been shortened and modified.