Marriage Meltdown

They’ve Led a Charmed Life as One of Hollywood’s Happiest Couples. But Rita Wilson, Feeling Abandoned and Sidelined by Tom Hanks’ Soaring Career, Could Be Calling It Quits.

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IN the blockbuster hit Sully, Tom Hanks is utterly convincing as Capt. Chesley Sullenberger, the pilot who miraculously landed his crippled plane in NYC’s icy Hudson River in 2009, saving the lives of all 155 passengers and crew. Indeed, it would be hard to imagine another actor who could effortlessly convey the kind of calm, cool, all-American heroism that has made Tom a beloved star.

Off screen, however, Hollywood’s Mr. Nice Guy may be headed for a not-so happy ending. Insiders claim that Tom’s 28-year marriage to Rita Wilson — which has been plagued by rumors of strife in the last two years — is on such shaky ground it may be beyond rescue. “Tom has this folksy Regular Joe image, but he can be abrasive, cold and controlling, which puts a lot of stress on Rita,” a source claims. “But things are really going downhill fast. Rita appears so miserable that friends feel it could be only a matter of time before she pulls the plug.”

BREAKING POINT

Long-simmering tensions erupted last month, when Rita and Tom went ballistic inside their $26 million, cliff side Pacific Palisades mansion, according to an insider, who tells Star exclusively: “Rita said she was tired of the lack of time they’d been spending together. Tom felt blindsided and hit the roof, and things got so heated that Rita stormed out of the house. To call it a blowout would be an understatement!”

Tom’s juggernaut of a career is a huge source of friction for the troubled couple. In addition to Sully and the upcoming Da Vinci Code sequel,