Fresh concerns over the health of veteran Nollywood actor Hanks Anuku have been dismissed by his manager, Moses Allen, who insists the actor is mentally sound despite a viral video that sparked widespread speculation on social media.
The video, which surfaced over the weekend, showed Anuku lying by a roadside in Wuse 2, Abuja, wearing jeans, a black top and sneakers while talking to himself and holding a disposable cup. The footage quickly generated reactions from fans, with many questioning the actor’s wellbeing.
Speaking in an interview with Premium Times, Allen said the viral clip had been misunderstood, describing Anuku as a deeply creative individual whose behaviour is often mistaken for mental instability.
“Hanks is a character; he’s an actor. So most of what he does is in a different world of his own. He does those things, people mistake it for madness or craziness. No, an artist is actually never really normal because your presence is in a different realm, in a creative realm,” Allen said.
The manager stressed that there was nothing in the video to suggest the veteran actor was mentally ill, noting that he was neither violent nor disruptive.
According to him, Anuku may have simply been rehearsing for a movie role or acting out a creative scene in his imagination.
“He wasn’t naked. He wasn’t abusing anybody; he wasn’t calling people names. Maybe he was trying to rehearse or imagine a scenario. I don’t see anything he did that should make the whole world conclude that he is mad.”
Allen further maintained that the Nollywood star is living a stable life, describing him as a responsible family man and adding that he is currently in one of the best mental states he has experienced in years.
“Kindly let the world know that the legend Hanks Chukwuemeka Anuku is sound and has, in fact, never been in a better mental state than now. He’s simply an artist.”
This is not the first time Anuku has been at the centre of rumours about his mental health. Similar videos circulated online in 2022, prompting Allen to deny reports that the actor was mentally ill.
Speaking in a 2024 interview, Anuku revealed that the false claims had severely affected his acting career. He said the viral footage traumatised him and alleged that some colleagues used the controversy against him, making it difficult to secure movie roles.
