Chet Hanks, the son of famous people, has apparently tasked himself with joining the unvaccinated half of the U.S.
In a recent clip shared to his Instagram, the 31-year-old “White Boy Summer” propagator at first appeared to be putting his platform (i.e. more than half a million followers) to good use by urging those who have yet to get their doses to step up.
“Look, I’ve been kinda on the fence about this for a while, that’s why I’ve never spoke on it,” Hanks said. “But with the amount of people that I know recently that have gotten COVID and with, like, the numbers rising, I think it’s important for me to say, like, I got the vaccine. I think everybody should. I think it’s really important that we all do this just as, like, citizens [and] as Americans. We have to look out for each other.”
From there, the performer sometimes known as Chet Haze—whose parents were some of the earliest celebrities to test positive for COVID-19 early into the pandemic in March of last year—interrupted himself and changed his voice.
“Sike, bitch!” he said. “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. I ain’t never had COVID. You ain’t stickin’ me with that motherfuckin’ needle. It’s the motherfuckin’ flu. Get over it, okay? If you’re sick, stay inside. Why we working around y’all? If you’re in danger, stay your ass inside. I’m tired of wearing a motherfuckin’ mask.”
The anti-vaxxerisms continued on Hanks’ Instagram Stories, including a clip of him complaining about Barnes & Noble’s mask policy.
In another update, Hanks—who, it should be noted, is being sued for $1 million by his ex Kiana Parker over allegations of assault, battery, and emotional distress—said the vaccine “should be a choice.”
While it’s not difficult to accept the likelihood of someone affiliated with a “White Boy Summer” also descending into anti-vaxxerism, there’s also a chance—particularly given Hanks’ history—that this is a troll move that will eventually lead to a clarification in which Hanks does give a genuine endorsement of vaccines.
In March of last year, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson—Chet’s parents—both tested positive for COVID-19. The following month, the couple announced they would donate their blood to help with treatment-focused research. In the fall, Hanks briefly appeared in Borat 2 as part of a joke that Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat unknowingly spread coronavirus across the globe.
Below, see how the general public has responded to Chet Haze’s supposed refusal to get the vaccine. And if you haven’t yet been vaccinated, you know what to do.
