Chet Hanks Says He Was Texting Kim Zolciak on His Way to Running Point Premiere and Reveals Where They Stand Today

Chet Hanks at the 'Running Point' premiere (left) and Kim Zolciak. Photo:Charley Gallay/Getty; Prince Williams/Wireimage
Are flirty vibes are still in the air for Chet Hanks and Kim Zolciak after The Surreal Life?

At the Los Angeles premiere of Running Point — the Netflix series that sees Hanks, 34, star alongside Kate Hudson — on Thursday, Feb. 13, the oldest son of Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson tells PEOPLE he's still in regular contact with Zolciak, 46.

"I just texted her in the car right now," Chet reveals.

The nature of their relationship is still unclear, though. "We're friends," he says of his former costar, though he didn't exactly shut down the possibility of a romance either.

"I don't know," he says when asked if the pair are "dating friends."

He then clarifies: "No, we're friends."

Chet Hanks and Jay Ellis attend Netflix's 'Running Point' LA Premiere on Feb. 13.Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty
Chet and the Real Housewives of Atlanta alum seemed to be getting cozy during their time on the MTV reality show, which aired this summer and was filmed in the fall of 2023.

In the teaser for the show, Chet called her a "MILF" during a confessional, and they climbed in bed together.

Filming for the Surreal Life came after Zolciak's whirlwind 2023 summer, during which she and husband Kroy Biermann filed for divorce in May 2023, called it off in July and then she refiled for divorce in August, just before leaving to film in Colombia.

She told PEOPLE she "needed some time away...to gain some clarity" amid the split and called the show "one of the most incredible experiences of my life."

As for her dynamic with Chet, she said at the time, "Chet's a great guy. I mean, he's adorable. We've had a lot of incredible moments throughout the season that you'll see. We've had some deep conversations and he's great."

Chet Hanks and Kim Zolciak in bed together on 'The Surreal Life'.MTV
On the show, Chet was cautious given Zolciak's ongoing divorce, and he said in a confessional at one point, "She's still married, so I don't figure she's taking it seriously," referring to their flirting. "But I start wondering to myself, well, maybe she is."

Chet's reasons for going on the show in the first place were similar to Zolciak's. "I'm ready for people to see that I'm just a regular guy," he told PEOPLE of his time on the show.

"That’s why I signed up for Surreal Life: Villa of Secrets. It was honestly one of the best experiences of my life, and I'm not just saying that. I had a blast, and I would do it again in a heartbeat."

Scott MacArthur, Dane DiLiegro, Jay Ellis, Brenda Song, Max Greenfield, Kate Hudson, Chet Hanks, Justin Theroux, Fabrizio Guido, Scott Evans, Drew Tarver, Uche Agada and Toby Sandeman attend the premiere of Netflix's "Running Point".Kevin Winter/Getty
Ahead of Surreal Life's premiere, Chet told PEOPLE he was "happier than ever" and looking forward to some other exciting projects, including Running Point. He credited getting sober for the opportunities. "None of this would be possible without sobriety," he said.

Chet had previously been the subject of controversy over his 2021 song "White Boy Summer" after it was co-opted by white supremacist groups, faced cultural appropriation accusations and had faced a legal battle with his ex Kiana Parker.

"When you just commit and decide and you stick to it, it's not even something that you negotiate with. It's just a non-negotiable," he said of sobriety. "And life becomes extremely easy."

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Running Point premieres Thursday, Feb. 27 on Netflix.