Tom Hanks’ son defends use of the n-word
Chester Hanks, the 24-year-old son of Hollywood stars Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, has landed himself in hot water after some racially insensitive comments.
The aspiring rapper, whose stage name is Chet Haze, was forced to defend himself after posting a racially offensive term on Instagram last week.
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Hanks shared a photo of himself posing in London with the caption: “F*** yall hating a** n***** I’ll never stop chasing my dream #OneLifeOneGodOneLove.”
Many of his followers took issue with his inclusion of the n-word, arguing Hanks had no right to use it given his privileged background.
The backlash prompted Hanks to post a video explaining his decision to use the word, which is widely regarded as a derogatory.
“Look, I know the majority of y’all are not going to get this because the history is still so fresh in our country,” Hanks said in the Instagram video.
“But hip hop isn’t about race, it’s about the culture you identify with. And can’t nobody tell me what I can’t say!”
He then posted a second video on the matter with a caption citing “free speech” as reason he was able to use the phrase.
“I don’t accept society getting to decide what ANYBODY can or can’t say. That’s something we call FREE SPEECH,” Hanks wrote.
The Los Angeles-based musician concluded his social media rant by quoting his father’s 1994 film Forrest Gump: “And that’s all I have to say about that (no pun intended) lol.”
It appears as though the 24-year-old’s Instagram account has since been taken down.
This is not the first time the private school-educated Hanks has been criticised, previously he has been slammed for reappropriating black culture.