Veteran Nollywood actor Hanks Anuku has shared the personal tragedy he says contributed to the emotional struggles that eventually led him to seek spiritual deliverance.

Speaking after a widely discussed prayer session at SMOGIM Ministries led by Apostle Leo, the 64-year-old actor explained that the death of the mother of his children deeply affected his emotional well-being and changed the direction of his life.According to Anuku, she was not just the mother of his children but also the woman he had planned to marry before her unexpected passing.He said the loss left him traumatised and pushed him into a long period of isolation, during which he felt like he became a different person.

The actor admitted that he lost his way emotionally and spiritually before, in his words, experiencing a turning point that brought him closer to God through deliverance, healing and comfort.

Anuku said that before the prayer session he constantly felt weighed down and uncomfortable, but afterwards he felt lighter, happier and emotionally renewed, describing the experience as feeling like a newborn baby.He credited the change entirely to God's intervention rather than his own efforts.His comments also provide more context to recent public concern after videos showing him looking distressed in public circulated online.While he has previously maintained that he is in good health, he acknowledged that he has been passing through a difficult season.

His latest remarks have attracted mixed reactions from Nigerians, with many expressing sympathy for his grief and openness about mental health, while others continue to question the circumstances surrounding his recent public appearances.