Rita Wilson Shares the 2 Things She Asked Husband Tom Hanks When She Was Diagnosed with Breast Cancer

Rita Wilson Breaks Silence on the Touching Wish She Made to Tom Hanks After Her Cancer Diagnosis

Rita Wilson is revealing what heartfelt message she sent to her husband, Tom Hanks, after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015.

The 69-year-old actress and singer during her “Sound of a Woman: Rita Wilson in Conversation with Demi Moore” at New York City’s 92NY on April 28, revealed she told Hanks that if anything happened to her, she would want him to grieve deeply but also find a way to celebrate her life.

During the talk, Wilson reminisced about her cancer battle and mentioned that after getting the diagnosis of invasive breast cancer in 2015, she had a double mastectomy and breast reconstruction surgery. The talk is happening just before the launch of her new record, Sound of a Woman.

Rita Wilson reminisces about her cancer battle and communicates her thoughts to Tom Hanks

Rita Wilson is still revealing the heartfelt reason for her songs and her perspective on life after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015.

During her talk at 92NY in New York City, the Sleepless in Seattle actress, who has been married to Tom Hanks since 1988, disclosed that her 2019 track “Throw Me a Party” was a result of her dealing with the uncertainty of the situation after her diagnosis.

“The song… came from this, ” Wilson said as she remembered the time when she thought whether she would be there in the coming years or not.

Besides this, she talked about the meaningful conversation she had with Hanks during the period. “If something happens and I go first, I just have two requests, ” she revealed. “The first one is that you should be sad for a very, very long time, ” she said, making a reference to the emotional mood of the song that she co-wrote with Liz Rose and Kristian Bush.

Rita Wilson Wants “A Celebration of Life” in Her Note to Tom Hanks

Rita Wilson is once again expressing her wish to find the positivity and joy after she revealed their emotional first requests to Tom Hanks when she got the heart-breaking news of breast cancer.

The singer explained her second plea at 92NY event where she said that, in case she died first, she had asked Hanks to have a party for her. “I want it to be a celebration of life, ” Wilson said, marking that she desires people to tell stories and remember her in a happy way.

This is not the first time Wilson has been thinking about these requests. In 2019, she expressed similar thoughts on Instagram, revealing that the diagnosis made her scared and worried about her mortality. From that serious conversation with Hanks, where she jokingly told him he should be “super sad for a very long time” and yet hosting a grand celebration, that her song “Throw Me a Party” was composed.

Rita Wilson Celebrates 10 Years of Being Cancer-Free and Thanks

Rita Wilson coincidentally is celebrating a big milestone in her journey to recovery by commemorating a decade of being cancer-free. The actress and singer gave fans the touching news in a live Instagram video on March 31, 2025, where she described the occasion as very special to her.

“It is a party to me, ” Wilson exclaimed. “10 years. And I am so very thankful.” She also gave thanks to her doctors, friends and family, realizing that the track to healing wasn’t even in parts simple.

Looking back, Wilson called it a very emotional and at times confusing “up and down” experience, one which lots of cancer survivors can relate to. Even so, she said that she doesn’t go out of her way to talk about her disease, but she decided to reveal the milestone to show the point of celebrating good things.

“As I do this, I also think about any of you who are going through tough times, ” she went on to say., ” God bless you.” She intended to be a source of support and encouragement.

Rita Wilson Opens up about Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Experience

Rita Wilson has given an inside scoop on the medical journey leading up to her 2015 breast cancer diagnosis. The Asteroid City actress was 58 back then and she disclosed that she had a double mastectomy followed by reconstructive surgery.

Wilson stated that she was diagnosed with LCIS (lobular carcinoma in situ) and she kept a close watch on her health by having regular mammograms and MRIs. However, after the two surgical breast biopsies that she underwent, the doctors found out that she had PLCIS (pleomorphic carcinoma in situ), a cancer that is not well understood and is usually found together with DCIS.

Wilson was happy when she got the news that there was no invasive cancer, and she could continue with the treatment and recovery.

Rita Wilson Stresses Importance of Second Opinions After Life-Saving Discovery

Rita Wilson is advocating for people to take charge of their health after a second opinion led to a life-saving break in her breast cancer situation. Although her initial pathology results seemed to be normal, it was a friend who encouraged her to see another doctor.

“It was my intuition that said to me this was the thing to do, ” Wilson said.

That gave another pathologist the chance to identify invasive lobular carcinoma, a diagnosis which a third specialist has later verified.

Looking back on it, Wilson urged a second opinion is a must for anybody making crucial health decisions. “There’s no risk if both opinions agree with you, and there is an enormous potential benefit if a mistake is discovered, ” she revealed to PEOPLE. “The earlier the diagnosis, the better the chances.”

Fans have a great reason to cheer for Wilson as the one of the most famous actresses will release her 6th album, Sound of a Woman, on 1st May.