Tom ’ s Secret Health Crisis

Despite the best efforts of his wife and doctors, Tom Hanks battles pain and illness

The news came as a shock. “I went to the doctor and he said, ‘You know those high blood-sugar numbers you’ve been dealing with since you were 36? Well you’ve graduated! You’ve got type 2 diabetes,’” Tom Hanks revealed to David Letterman on Late Show in 2013, shaking his head as the crowd gasped in disbelief. Then he added with a shrug, “Something’s going to kill us all.”

In the years since his reveal, Tom has struggled with other serious conditions. And now the beloved actor is in the midst of a secret health crisis. “Tom isn’t just battling diabetes — he’s suffering from prostate flare-ups and other blood sugar problems,” a source close to the twotime Oscar winner tells In Touch. Tom must take pills multiple times a day to help manage his issues. “The side effects are what’s really affecting him,” adds an insider. “Right now, he’s in a ton of pain and it’s not allowing him to walk and function the way he wants.” He spends many days in his home office when he doesn’t feel well, says the insider, adding that the 59-year-old doesn’t want the public to see him at less than his best.

Making the situation more difficult: Tom’s dietary restrictions. “Tom was ordered by his doctor to stop all red meat, alcohol, caffeine and sugar,” says the source, adding that although the father of four had no problem giving up booze, he still enjoys red meat and caffeine, plus his main vice: chocolate.

His wife, Rita Wilson, is committed to keeping him healthy. “Rita tries so hard to help Tom with the regimen of healthy eating and taking his daily pills and vitamins,” says the insider, adding that if Tom would just listen to Rita, 59 — who is no stranger to health issues (see sidebar) — his condition would probably be better. “Rita lays out all of his pills, along with her own, every morning and every night. She labels everything with a time and date. And all Tom has to do is take the pill.”

But Tom hates accepting that he has any physical limitations. “Tom isn’t a pill guy, never has been, and that’s part of the problem. They really affect his stomach,” says the source, adding that though Tom puts on a brave face in public, behind closed doors the Hollywood legend sometimes struggles. At times, says the insider, he has had to get a steroid shot “to bring down the inflammation in his feet.” Adds the insider: Tom’s trying so hard to keep going like nothing is wrong with him, but “he’s in pain.” ◼