Rita Wilson‘s relationship with her children dramatically changed after her mom died.
“Unfiltered” and Open
The actress is more “unfiltered” and open with Chet, 35, and Truman, 30, with whom she has with actor Tom Hanks, and his children Colin, 48, and E.A., 43, to dodge leaving them with unanswered questions like Rita had when her “best friend” Dorothy died of Alzheimer’s in 2014.
Rita triggers “a lot of laughs” when she spills all, but ultimately, it provides a genuine connection, where everyone feels truly understood and free to be themselves.
“There’s no barriers to being with your family and with your children in that way, so that you can be honest and just have those conversations – because you never know”, she added in the new issue of PEOPLE magazine.
Rita’s Cancer Diagnosis
More honest conversations were sparked a year after Dorothy died, as Rita was diagnosed with breast cancer, and did not know if she would beat it.
The Sleepless in Seattle star told spouse Tom he could be filled with sadness for a “very, very long time”, but the Toy Story legend had to give Rita, also 69, a big send-off if she died.
Thankfully, Rita survived the “invasive” disease 11 years ago following a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery.
The Jingle All the Way entertainer says the death of her mom, beating cancer, and other past experiences have shaped Rita into the person she is today.
She said, “All of the experiences that I’ve had that have led me to this point are part of every stitch and every hook that pulls through that cotton, that makes the pattern, that then you piece together, that makes the blanket.”
Seeing the Bigger Picture
And Rita is able to see the bigger picture of life more clearly than before.
Although she does not talk about the health battle a lot, Rita made an exception to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of being cancer-free on March 31, 2025, with a candid video posted to Instagram.
The “deeply grateful” performer said, “I’m so thankful to my doctors. To my friends, to my family. The gratitude is overwhelming. Didn’t always feel this way.”
“And you know that, anybody who’s going through [it, or] who’s survived knows that it’s an up and down, like, hamster wheel. But then you get to this point.”
Rita opened up about her breast cancer fight as she thinks it is “important to celebrate good news”.
Rita Wilson ended on a positive note. She said, “I am thinking of anybody out there who might be going through some difficulties, and you’re in my thoughts and prayers. Anyways, God bless you all. Bye.”