Tom Hanks’ Niece Addresses The Strong Reaction To Her Claim To Fame Meltdown

Early in the Season 2 premiere of ABC’s Claim to Fame, Carly Reeves hinted that her secret celebrity relative was “one of the biggest actors in Hollywood.” Though the statement that followed — “I’m gonna have to make sure they don’t guess me first” — seemed to be the 39-year-old’s “famous last words,” Hugo revealed Carly to be Tom Hanks’ niece, sending her into a blindside elimination meltdown that gave a whole new meaning to the phrase.

After breaking down into tears in front of her castmates, Carly stormed up to her bedroom to pack her bags. While en route, she let out a loud shriek, signaling a full tantrum ahead, as she began complaining about “freakin’ obvious” Forrest Gump clues, including the 1994 film’s iconic bench, that gave away her Oscar-winning uncle’s identity. “Even Gabriel figured that out. He’s not even, like, smart,” Carly griped, seemingly in earshot of her fellow contestant, while gathering her belongings. The episode’s final scene showed her sobbing while she shouted, “I don’t deserve this! I should have more camera time! I should be here longer! No one expected that! No one!”

Despite the drama, Carly tells Bustle that watching the scene on TV actually made her laugh. “At first, I was a little embarrassed, but, also, I know myself,” she says of the aptly titled “Megastars and Meltdowns” episode that premiered on June 26. “I thought it was hilarious because I’ve had temper tantrums since I was a kid.”

In fact, her uncle Tom makes the “funniest impressions” of her childhood tantrums. “He would call me Tazmanian Devil because I would roll around on the floor and cry,” she recalls. “There’s this joke in the family where Tom imitates my mom holding the door shut while I’m screaming in my room, throwing pillows, and having a complete meltdown. So, I don’t think anyone was surprised.”

Carly, whose mom is Rita Wilson’s sister, says that she gave her famous aunt and uncle a heads-up anyway. “They knew that I could cause drama, obviously, because they just know me. But I’m sure they probably didn’t expect me to have a meltdown like I did,” admits the actor, who appeared alongside her uncle in Charlie Wilson’s War and Larry Crowne.

She’s not sure if Hanks has had a chance to catch her Claim to Fame episode yet, though, as he’s currently away in Greece. Carly messaged him a tune-in reminder. “I didn’t get a text back,” she says. “We’ll see if he actually watches it.”

Those who did watch had strong reactions to Carly, to put it mildly. Though some viewers tweeted that hers was “one of the best tantrums in reality TV history” and an “instant classic,” others called her an “embarrassment” and wrote they couldn’t believe she was actually related to such a beloved figure as the Oscar winner.

“It’s definitely not fun to see people react with such disdain for you, but I’m just kind of laughing it off,” Carly concludes, clarifying that her pleas for more screen time meant she wanted to stay on the show longer because her two days of filming were some of the “most fun times” of her life. “I just wish that it didn’t come off as this spoiled, entitled person, which I am definitely not. I’m very much a normal girl just trying to get by — I just have high emotions.”