Hanks Anuku says viral videos that falsely painted him unwell made him lose jobs

Veteran Nollywood actor Hanks Anuku has opened up about the viral videos that falsely painted him as mentally unwell, clarifying that he was simply practising for the role of a madman.

The actor was interviewed by media personality Lucky Udu who inquired about the viral videos from 2023 which showed him walking around the streets, talking to himself and looking haggard. In response, Anuku explained that he was only trying to get himself into character for a role.

He began, "That day I was trying to get into character for a role I was going to play, a madman role. Someone who was not in his correct senses or right frame of mind."

"So naturally I did it in the neighbourhood and I was trying to get it to show the way the director would have shown it. I was meditating and trying to get into character, that's it. I was not even aware that I was being recorded. I was concentrating on myself and my script," he continued.

Addressing the insanity rumours which once plagued the internet, Anuku emphasised that he was never on drugs and is in fact very healthy.

"People have said a lot of stuff. Rumours are rumours. They said I was sick and I was on drugs. I was not on drugs. Maybe they saw me depressed cause depression can cause stress. But me, being on drugs? That's not true. I'm not a madman. I'm very sane and healthy. I exercise a lot and do my martial arts and sports," he explained.

He revealed that he was greatly affected by the viral videos and subsequent rumours. He said, "I lost a lot of money. I lost jobs and was jobless for a while and people didn't care about me. I went through pain and I was heartbroken."