Chet Hanks and Eric André’s unresolved disagreement from 2023 resurfaced in public at ComplexCon, where video shared by Hanks shows him approaching André and initiating a tense exchange. The encounter did not produce a clear resolution. Instead, it revisited competing accounts of what happened when Hanks appeared on The Eric André Show three years earlier—and touched again on criticism surrounding Hanks’ use of a Jamaican accent.

The setting added a layer of volatility. ComplexCon, an event positioned at the intersection of fashion, music, sneakers and pop culture, had already drawn attention over crowd activity and a serious altercation outside the Los Angeles Convention Center that reportedly left multiple people injured. The Hanks-André confrontation was a separate incident, but it became another widely circulated moment from the gathering.

What the ComplexCon video appears to show

In footage Hanks posted, he walks up behind André and places a hand on his shoulder before speaking to him. André initially appears receptive, but the interaction becomes visibly more strained as Hanks raises past comments André made following the 2023 taping.

André appears confused about the precise grievance being raised, or unwilling to relitigate it in that environment. That distinction matters: confusion in a brief, chaotic interaction is not the same thing as a definitive denial that earlier comments were made. Hanks, however, interpreted André’s response as proof that he had no recollection of publicly criticizing him.

The exchange ended without the two men settling their underlying disagreement. Security accompanied André away from the interaction. A remark involving Tom Hanks could reportedly be heard as André left, though the wording was not clear enough to treat as a firm quotation.

For viewers, the practical takeaway is simple: the video documents an awkward confrontation, not an agreed account of the 2023 production incident. The competing versions of that earlier event remain competing versions.

The 2023 dispute behind the encounter

The conflict began after Hanks filmed an episode of The Eric André Show in 2023. André subsequently described Hanks’ behavior on set as dangerous. His account alleged that Hanks rode a motorcycle around the production area and nearly knocked crew members off ladders. André also said the visit had disrupted the crew.

Hanks did not deny that he rode the motorcycle. His objection was to the way André characterized the act and its risk. Hanks said he had watched the program before appearing and intended to match its heightened, unruly comic energy. He maintained that he knew how to handle the motorcycle, describing the moment as popping a wheelie and then putting the bike down.

Related coverage includes Chet Hanks and Eric André’s 2023 Dispute Resurfaces at ComplexCon.

Those positions overlap on one basic fact—there was a motorcycle used during the production—but sharply diverge on intent, safety and impact. André framed it as dangerous conduct that affected crew members. Hanks framed it as an intentional contribution to a show known for disorderly performance comedy, while also accusing André of resenting the attention Hanks received during the appearance.

That is why a reconciliation was never likely to emerge automatically from a chance meeting. The disagreement is not merely about whether a bike was present. It is about workplace safety, comic boundaries and who gets to define what a chaotic show environment permits.

Why “matching the energy” is not a complete answer

“Matching the energy” is a useful phrase for describing performance tone: a guest may respond to an absurd or confrontational comedy format with equally extreme behavior. But it does not resolve questions about physical safety or consent from the people working around a production.

In this case, Hanks’ account explains his stated motivation, while André’s account identifies why that motivation did not make the act acceptable in his view. A production can feature deliberately unpredictable comedy while still relying on boundaries, planning and safety procedures behind the camera. Neither the event video nor the available accounts establish a shared understanding that Hanks’ motorcycle use was authorized or harmless.

That distinction also clarifies why the argument stayed stuck. Hanks’ defense focuses on his interpretation of the show’s atmosphere and his riding ability. André’s criticism focuses on the potential risk to crew members. They are answering related but different questions.

A second issue: the Jamaican-accent criticism

The ComplexCon argument also returned to longstanding criticism of Hanks’ use of a Jamaican accent. Critics have accused him of mocking Caribbean culture. The issue is separate from the motorcycle dispute, even if it became part of the same confrontation.

It is important not to flatten that criticism into a vague celebrity feud. The objection concerns cultural representation: whether adopting an accent associated with a specific community turns a lived cultural identity into a persona or a joke. The available information does not show that Hanks and André reached any mutual understanding on that subject at ComplexCon.

Combining multiple unresolved issues in one spontaneous public argument can make the central claims harder to address. A person may be challenged about a past production incident, public comments afterward, and broader cultural criticism in the space of minutes. That does not guarantee clarity, especially when security is trying to move people apart and bystanders are filming.

Why the Tom Hanks reference keeps returning

Any reference to Tom Hanks fits an earlier pattern in the dispute. In 2023, after Hanks criticized André on Instagram, André joked that Chet should take a DNA test to establish that Tom Hanks was his father. The apparent ComplexCon remark suggests André was willing to return to that same line of attack as he was escorted away.

Celebrity-family references are an easy way to turn an argument into a viral clip because they attach a familiar name to a messy conflict. They can also distract from the substantive issues. Whether the 2023 set conduct was unsafe, whether André fairly described it, and how Hanks responds to cultural criticism are the questions at the heart of the dispute. Bringing in a famous relative may make the exchange more shareable, but it does not answer any of them.

ComplexCon’s wider pop-culture context

ComplexCon is built around the kinds of intersections that make online attention travel quickly: celebrity appearances, consumer culture, style and live crowds. Fashion drops and collaborations are part of the broader orbit, including projects such as Playboi Carti’s YVL x BAPE collection. That high-visibility setting can turn an unplanned encounter into a public episode within minutes.

Still, virality should not be mistaken for resolution. The clip offers a narrow window into the latest confrontation, while the dispute itself rests on statements made at different times and under different circumstances. Hanks sees André’s reaction as an evasion of earlier criticism. André’s on-camera demeanor suggests he either did not immediately recognize the particulars of the complaint or did not choose to engage with it in that moment.

Neither reading establishes an objective end point. What is clear is that their 2023 disagreement was not settled before they crossed paths at ComplexCon, and it remains unsettled after security separated them.

What remains uncertain

  • Whether André genuinely did not remember the previous public criticism, or simply declined to revisit it during the encounter.
  • The exact wording of André’s final comment while leaving with security.
  • Whether either man will offer a fuller account of the ComplexCon exchange afterward.
  • Whether the underlying disagreement over the 2023 set incident will ever be addressed directly by both men in the same setting.

For now, the incident is best understood as a renewed public clash rather than a new settlement. Hanks brought a years-old grievance to André in person; André left without engaging in a substantial discussion; and the video once again placed their incompatible accounts in front of an audience.