Rita Wilson reveals 'shocking' hidden chapter of her father’s past
The actress says she was shocked by the hidden chapter of her family history
Rita Wilson has opened up about a deeply personal family revelation, saying she was “shocked” to learn her late father had a secret family in Bulgaria before emigrating to the United States.
Speaking on the How to Fail With Elizabeth Day, the 69-year-old actress reflected on her experience filming the genealogy series Who Do You Think You Are? in 2012, which uncovered hidden details about her father’s early life.
Wilson explained that her father, Allan Wilson, born Hassan Halilov Ibrahimoff, had previously been married in Bulgaria and had a son named Emil before relocating to the U.S. following a series of personal tragedies after World War II.
She said researchers on the show discovered that her father’s first wife, Alice, died in childbirth, and their infant son Emil died just months later from an infection.
The revelations, she noted, explained a part of her father’s life that had never been discussed within the family.
“It was so shocking and unusual,” Wilson recalled, adding that she had even asked producers whether she might meet relatives connected to that chapter of her father’s life. However, she ultimately did not meet any surviving family members.
Wilson said her father moved to the United States in 1949 following the tragedies, later marrying her mother, Dorothy, in 1950.
Together, they raised Wilson and her siblings in Los Angeles, along with the life they built as a family.
Reflecting on the discovery, Wilson said she still struggles to process the hidden history.
She also noted a poignant coincidence: both her sister’s first child and her own youngest son were born on December 26, the same date as her father’s late son, Emil.
The actress, who is married to Tom Hanks, said her upbringing in a private Greek Orthodox household meant family matters were rarely discussed openly. Looking back, she expressed a desire for greater openness across generations.
“If we were all more open with each other, then we all can see that we’re all in the same boat,” she said, reflecting on the emotional impact of uncovering her family’s past.
Wilson also paid tribute to her parents, describing them as “incredible” and acknowledging the life they built despite the hidden complexities of her father’s early years.