Meet Carly Reeves, Tom Hanks' Niece Who Had A Meltdown On Claim To Fame
Of all the reality competition shows out there, "Claim to Fame" has got to be one of the more unique ones. Hosted by Kevin Jonas and his relatively lesser-known brother, Frankie Jonas, the show is about contestants who are related to famous people but have to keep their identities under wraps in order to win $100,000. Last season, the winner was Loreal Palmer, Keke Palmer's sister, who managed to keep her identity a secret until the end.
Season 2's contestant, Carly Reeves, wasn't so lucky. During the first episode of Season 2, she was outed as Tom Hanks' relative and she blamed it on the easy clues production left for the other cast members. After being eliminated, Reeves threw the tantrum of all tantrums and ranted about her clues to her ties with Hanks being too obvious. "Why a bench? Why a bench? There's literally no reference to a bench in any other movie! Even Gabriel found that out, he's not even, like, smart!" she is seen yelling. Reeves then screams, "I don't deserve this! I should have more camera time! I should be here longer!" Well, if no one knew who Reeves was before the show, people certainly do now, and she's embracing her dramatic outburst on "Claim to Fame."
Carly Reeves has no regrets about her tantrum
Carly Reeves made reality television history with her epic tantrum, but she's not ashamed. The "Claim to Fame" contestant told USA Today that she was in a "complete fog" after being identified as Tom Hanks' niece and explained, "I was really angry because I thought that my clues were just super easy. I felt like I didn't get as easy a game as everyone else." Still, she doesn't feel remorseful about her behavior. "Honestly, I'm an emotional person, so I'm obviously going to react in a big way because that's just how I am ... But as far as being upset and sad, that was all real. So, I can't regret it," she declared.
Reeves doubled down on Instagram. "So I had a meltdown. Say what you want. I'm not spoiled or entitled or crazy I can just be a little expressive and vocal shall we say ... I know it's not a good look but I really wanted to play along with the rest of the cast. Hope I made you laugh at least!" she wrote. A fan replied, "This is so funny. She's not even related to Tom Hanks by blood. Rita Wilson is her actual aunt, and yet her claim to fame is someone she's related to by marriage." Despite not being blood-related to Hanks, it's still cool to be connected to the nicest guy in Hollywood, and they actually seem to have a close relationship.
Carly Reeves considers Tom Hanks like a father
Carly Reeves may not be genetically tied to Tom Hanks, but they still have a close bond. Her mother is Rita Wilson's sister and raised Reeves as a single parent. In 2018, she posted a birthday tribute to Hanks on Instagram and wrote, "#happybirthday to this amazing human @tomhanks I have looked up to you my whole life in awe and wonder how someone can be so talented, intelligent, understanding, compassionate, wise, and freaking NICE. You have been tough on me when I needed it, making me be honest with myself. You've given me advice, confidence, support, and a passion for arts." She went on to describe how he supported her when she wanted to move to New York City to pursue her dreams. "I love you so much. Thank you for being there in my life, like a dad, but the best uncle," she concluded.
Like Hanks and Wilson, Reeves has the acting bug and graduated from the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television. A few of her roles include "Raise Your Voice," and "Larry Crowne," with Hanks. Although she has no regrets about her outburst, Reeves shared with Entertainment Tonight, "I mean, maybe I don't want him to watch it because I don't want to embarrass him for any reason. I hope I don't embarrass him, but I don't think I do. So, I would love for him to watch it, because I think it's hilarious."