Was Tom Hanks responsible for Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry’s two black eyes and broken nose that shocked onlookers at a White House ceremony on Monday? We can’t say for sure. It does look wicked painful, though!
Kerry’s office said the 68-year-old lawmaker was injured during an ice hockey game with friends and family. But Flash can reveal that the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee was actually banged up during a celebrity charity game on New Year’s Eve in Sun Valley, Idaho — and one of the stars on the ice was Hanks, who has a mansion in the posh ski resort.
Kerry — who was famously filmed windsurfing during his 2004 campaign against George W. Bush — may have neglected to mention the Hanks connection because he’s particularly sensitive to charges of elitism.
“He doesn’t want blue-collar voters to think he only hangs around with other millionaires,” said one Democratic operative.
As bad as the raccoon-eyed Kerry looked at the White House, where President Obama congratulated Kerry’s hometown team, the Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins, his face was far more swollen and discolored three weeks ago. Perhaps Kerry’s battered mug would have won over Bruins MVP Tim Thomas, who skipped the ceremony because of his tea party leanings.
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Photo: Joshua Roberts/Bloomberg, Jason Merritt/Getty Images
John Kerry got his banged-up face at a celebrity hockey game that included Tom Hanks (inset).