- Chet Hanks confronted comedian Eric Andre at ComplexCon in a public escalation of their ongoing multi-year dispute.
- The confrontation stems from Hanks’s chaotic 2023 guest appearance on The Eric Andre Show, which led Andre to publicly criticize his on-set behavior.
- Security intervened to separate the two, with Andre allegedly shouting that Hanks’s father, Tom Hanks, should take a DNA test.
Chet Hanks and Eric Andre Clash at ComplexCon
Actor and musician Chet Hanks, the 36-year-old son of Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, has reignited his public feud with comedian Eric Andre after confronting him face-to-face at ComplexCon. The altercation, which Hanks documented and shared on his Instagram account, showed the pair squaring up amid unresolved tensions originating from Hanks’s appearance on The Eric Andre Show in 2023.
In the shared video footage, Andre initially appeared to greet Hanks before asking, What did I say?
The encounter quickly escalated into a tense standoff where Andre stood his ground before event security personnel intervened. As guards moved in to separate the two personalities, Andre reportedly yelled back at Hanks that his father should get a DNA test, questioning his familial connection to the Oscar-winning actor.
The Origins of the Feud on ‘The Eric Andre Show’
The bad blood between the two entertainers traces back to Hanks’s appearance on the famously surreal and disruptive comedy program. Following the episode’s broadcast, Andre expressed sharp disapproval of Hanks’s conduct during filming, telling Rolling Stone that the actor is emotionally disturbed
.
During that interview, Andre alleged that Hanks stole a motorcycle and rode it around
, endangering the production crew and nearly knocking workers off ladders. Andre remarked at the time: It was very dangerous. He tried to prank us back, but we edited out all his bs! He’s not well. How did Colin Hanks come out so good and Chet Hanks come out so bad?
Social Media Reactions and Conflicting Accounts
In his Instagram Reel caption, Hanks criticized Andre’s reaction to the face-to-face meeting, writing: Finally ran into [Eric Andre] who apparently travels to ComplexCon with 4 security guards (because the environment makes him uneasy) and who had NO MEMORY WHATSOEVER of trashing me to the media after I outshined him on his own show!! Until after being sheltered by his security team, began foaming at the mouth and admitted it was because he had a problem with me ‘mocking Caribbean culture’ when I did my Jamaican accent all those years ago.
Despite Hanks’s post, social media sentiment leaned heavily in favor of Andre. Fellow comedian Zach Fox mocked the encounter, commenting, Wow you really showed him
, while another widely supported comment read, Walking up on Eric Andre and thinking it’s gonna make you look tough is so embarrassing.
Hanks had previously detailed his version of the set incident during an appearance on Steve-O’s Wild Ride! podcast, arguing that the production was hypocritical regarding safety standards. Hanks recalled: He has a guy come out… drives a dirt bike off a jump and lands on the stage… I pick up the dirt bike. I start riding it around the set. His production producers come to me: ‘Yo, get off the bike, it’s not safe.’ I’m like, ‘Chill, dude, I got this.’ I pop a little wheelie… They edited this out of the footage. It wasn’t dangerous when you had the guy jump it in front of me. You weren’t worried about safety then… But now I’m riding it around a little bit and they’re all freaking out. Six months later when the episode comes out, he throws me under the bus to the media in an interview saying that I’m a liability. Genuinely, seriously—not in a funny way—trying to make me look like a maniac, which I am, but not in a bad way. I’m harmless. He was genuinely trying to throw me under the bus and throw dirt on my name to the media, trying to make me look unprofessional… He doesn’t like to be outshined on his own show. That was the whole problem.
Why This Matters
The altercation underscores the enduring fallout that can arise when guests attempt to match or overturn the chaotic environment of subversive television shows. While The Eric Andre Show relies on engineered chaos and pranks to disorient guests, Andre’s past complaints highlighted real boundaries surrounding crew safety and set liability. Hanks’s willingness to turn an off-screen feud into an in-person confrontation years after the event illustrates how personal grievances can persist and play out across modern celebrity culture and digital platforms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are Chet Hanks and Eric Andre feuding?
Their feud began after Chet Hanks appeared as a guest on The Eric Andre Show in 2023. Eric Andre claimed Hanks acted dangerously on set by riding a motorcycle near crew members and later criticized him publicly in an interview, which Hanks claimed damaged his reputation.
What happened during the confrontation at ComplexCon?
Hanks approached Andre at ComplexCon over the comments Andre made to the press. The two squared up and exchanged words before security separated them, with Andre reportedly shouting that Hanks’s father should take a DNA test.
What was Chet Hanks’s response to the on-set allegations?
Hanks addressed the accusations on Steve-O’s Wild Ride! podcast, stating that the show had already introduced a dirt bike onto the set and argued that his actions were harmless. He claimed Andre portrayed him as a liability in the media simply because Andre felt outshined on his own program.
