Tom Hanks wins tabloid apology over crumbling marriage claims

LOS ANGELES: Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson got apologies and retractions on Tuesday from two U.S. tabloids who claimed the Hollywood couple was divorcing because Hanks was in love with his co-stars Meg Ryan or Felicity Jones.

The National Enquirer and Star Magazine, both properties of American Media Inc [AMRCM.UL], issued statements, changed their online stories and will run corrections in their upcoming print editions.

Hanks and Wilson, who have been married for 28 years, said in a statement that in the past they had laughed off tabloid stories about their "soon-to-be acrimonious divorce because those stories were so far from true."

But with their 29th anniversary coming up in April, the couple said they considered marriage to be "the foundation of our family" and that such stories were "lies we would not put up with any longer."

Hanks starred with Ryan in hit 1990s movies like "Sleepless in Seattle" and "You've Got Mail." British actress Jones is his co-star in the new adventure movie "Inferno."

"We did not intend to report that Tom Hanks was having any kind of an inappropriate relationship with Meg Ryan, or that he and Rita Wilson were divorcing," the National Enquirer said in a statement on its website. Its Oct. 10 issue had run a report saying, "$400 million marriage crumbling over Hanks' love for Ryan."

Star Magazine apologised for an Oct. 3 report, saying "we did not intend to report that Tom Hanks was having any kind of an inappropriate relationship with Felicity Jones, or that he and Rita Wilson were divorcing."