23rd June, 2024
By Taiwo Okanlawon
Nollywood veteran actor Hanks Anuku, has revealed that he doesn’t smoke anymore and has never indulged in hard drugs.
The thespian disclosed this while reacting to a viral video that falsely portrayed him as mentally unstable.
A disturbing video showing Anuku dressed in tattered clothes, appearing to talk to himself, surfaced online in 2023, sparking speculations that he was mentally unstable.
The video of the actor who was spotted at the Northwest fuel station in Asaba started circulating on the internet on Wednesday.
In the video, Hanks Anuku was discussing with another man who was admiring a young lady who walked by. The actor was muttering several words that were hard to put together.
Before leaving the scene, Hanks Anuku mentioned that it was the birthday of Anambra-based cleric Chukwuemeka Ohanaemere alias Prophet Odumeje and he admires the man.
Despite a disclaimer from his colleague, Shan George, many, including filmmaker, Adanma Luke, insisted that the actor was mentally unstable, which led the Actors Guild of Nigeria, AGN, launching an investigation into the matter.
In a chat with content creator, Lucky Udu, the actor debunked the speculations, stressing that he doesn’t engage in any activity that could temper with his mental health.
“I am not a mad man… Some people say I was on hard drugs. I don’t do hard drugs. Back in the days I used to smoke but not anymore,” he said.
“I never went into anything hard drugs. I have self-control. There’s probably where I was depressed and had to have a little drink like beers or wine. That’s it. I don’t drink hard liquor. But I was just isolated because I never thought I would be betrayed by my own people. It hurt me so much.”
Questions about the actor’s mental health first started in 2022 after a video of Hanks looking tattered on the streets went viral.
The footage generated reactions on social media as many speculated that the actor was mentally unstable while others claimed the video was from a movie set. However, the actor who reacted to the video accused people of trying to destroy his image.
Hanks Anuku, however, claimed he had been on set and the pictures and videos were being used to tarnish his reputation.
He wrote: “Tell all these motherf*ckers who write crap about me to stop writing about me and leave me alone. If they wanna act in the movie, they can Come to me. I’ve been on set and anyone using those pictures and videos on set to try and destroy my image, may the holy spirit forgive you.”