Fact Check: Has Tom Hanks gone bald and planning to leave US after Trump's election win?

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: A viral tweet alleging Tom Hanks is not only bald but also intends to leave the United States following Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 presidential election has led to widespread speculations online.

The tweet featuring a photo of Hanks sporting a shaved head rapidly gained popularity, sparking a wide range of responses from both fans and critics.

Did Tom Hanks shave his head?

Upon closer examination of the facts, it became clear that the claim was misleading and the rumors were baseless, according to the Express Tribune.

The image circulating on social media showed Hanks drastically changed his appearance. In fact, the photograph was not recent and did not show Hanks' current appearance. The picture was taken in 2020 when he was a guest on 'The Graham Norton Show'.

During the show, Hanks talked about portraying Colonel Tom Parker in Baz Luhrmann's biopic of Elvis. He humorously commented on the bald appearance he adopted for the role, noting that it was an essential aspect of embodying the character.

He assured his fans that the shaved head was solely for a film role and that his hair would soon return.

Hanks humorously commented, "Let me show you the horrible haircut I have to have in order to portray Colonel Tom Parker," while assuring fans, "Don’t worry now, don’t be afraid. This shaved head was just for a movie and my hair is growing back very slowly."

Will Tom Hanks leave United States?

The viral tweet's most provocative claim—that the actor planned to leave the United States if Donald Trump were re-elected—lacks any supporting evidence. The recent tweet read, "BREAKING: Tom Hanks announces he will leave the United States if Donald Trump is elected President in 2024!"

Hanks has voiced concerns regarding the possibility of a Trump presidency, as stated in his June 2024 interview with Christiane Amanpour on CNN. "I think there’s always reason to be worried about the short term," he has not expressed any plans to leave the US after Trump won.

Viral tweet about Tom Hanks leaving US over Trump presidency exposed as satire

One similar tweet claiming "Tom Hanks has said he will leave the United States if Trump becomes President in 2024" went viral on the platform in 2023.

The account that posted tweet in 2023 stated that it was satirical and not intended to be taken literally. "it is Satire come on is that hard to understand Satire," the account responded to one of the few commenters who criticized the post.

According to the fact-checking website Snopes, the claims made in 2023 were part of the extensive network of QAnon conspiracy theories that have been in circulation since at least 2016.