Nigerian actor Hanks Anuku has revealed how a viral video, which falsely depicted him as mentally unstable, severely impacted his career and caused him significant personal distress.

The video, which surfaced in 2022, showed Anuku dressed in tattered clothes and seemingly talking to himself, leading to widespread speculation about his mental health.

Shortly after the video’s emergence, Nollywood actress Shan George refuted the claims, asserting that Anuku was not mentally unstable.

In a recent interview with content creator Lucky Udu, which gained traction on Sunday, Anuku clarified that the footage was from a movie set.

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The actor explained that he was preparing for a role that required him to portray a mentally unstable character, and he was immersing himself in the environment to perfect his performance.

“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,” Hanks Anuku stated.

“So I had to go naturally visit the environment on how I would play it in that same neighbourhood. I was just showing the way the director wanted me to do it, meditating and getting into character.

He refuted rumours that he was on drugs and sick, stressing that he was very sane.

“They said a lot of stuff. They said I was sick, on drugs, I am not sick, I was not on drugs, maybe they saw me depressed, depression can bring stress. But me being on drugs, that’s not true: I am not a madman, I am very sane,” Hanks Anuku said.

The actor lamented the repercussions of the video, which led to a loss of friends, job offers, and income.

“I lost friends, producers no longer contacted me for jobs. I lost a lot of money, I lost jobs, and I was jobless. People did not care about me. It was God who directed my footsteps to a good soul,” he shared.

Reflecting on the ordeal, Hanks Anuku expressed his heartbreak over the situation. “I went through pain. If you were in my shoes, you would feel it. I was heartbroken for these people to do this to me.”