Key Takeaways
- Chet Hanks confirmed he played high school football with Daejon Love and remembered him as a "good dude," while cautioning that they have not spoken in years.
- Hanks recalled that they worked as cabana boys, dated wealthy older women and received luxury SUVs, but rejected responsibility for Love's alleged actions because "we all make our own decisions."
- Federal prosecutors accuse Love of posing as a San Francisco 49ers player and defrauding 26 women of $1.3 million, with Love and an alleged 18-year-old accomplice facing wire fraud and conspiracy charges in Oregon.
Chet Hanks has confirmed that he was, in fact, once friends with Daejon Love, the man facing federal wire fraud charges for allegedly posing as a San Francisco 49ers wide receiver.
On Thursday (September 3), Hanks, who is the son of Tom and Rita Hanks, took to Instagram to share video detailing his history with Love, who has been the talk of the internet as of late — with NFL star Tyreek Hill even weighing in.
After a lengthy introduction, during which he explains he's currently in Paris, France, Hanks confirmed he and Love were high school pals. "We played football together. He was a wide receiver. I was a free safety and we was friends, man," the Running Point star said. "Daejon was a good dude, you know, but take that with a grain of salt in regards to these alleged accusations of him scamming and everything."
Chet added that he and Love have spent time "riding around LA" in luxury rides and attending "house parties in Bel-Air," before addressing whether he feels part responsible for "maybe having an influence on the direction he took in life."
"That's a good question," Hanks said in the clip. "See, the thing is, looking back on it, I feel like I may have had a little bit of influence on him."
One of the reasons why Hanks claims some responsibility for Love is because the two simultaneously dated "cougar MILFs" while working as cabana boys. "For a while there, I got a Range Rover out of it. Daejon got a G-Wagon," he explained. "It was a couple years old, but it was still nice. You know, it was clean. And things were good, man."
Hanks added that members of their football team called Love "Dijon" because French is among the native languages of Switzerland.
"Back to if I feel responsible for the part I play. Well, I'm going to be honest. No, I don’t," Hanks went on to add. "Because we all grow men. And we all make our own decisions. I lost touch with him. Haven't spoke to him in years. Haven't seen him. It was real touch and go there for a while. But yeah, man. So... Please stop asking me about this. Respect my privacy."
While Hanks has requested "privacy," the investigation into his former friend is just getting underway. Federal investigators believe Love obtained his football identity in 2022 and duped his social media following into believing he was a pro athlete with fake 49ers equipment and Instagram highlight reels.
The 35-year-old has been accused of defrauding 26 women out of $1.3 million along with an 18-year-old, who acted as his financial advisor, while impersonating a 49ers player. Both face wire fraud and conspiracy charges in Oregon.
