Is Chicago Actress Andrea Dean Missing or Moving On?
Actress Andrea Dean Johnson has been listed as missing and endangered by the Chicago Police Department since September of 2021. Contact CPD at (312) 747-8380 with info.
Chicago police are still considering the disappearance of an actress and mother from the South Side a missing person’s case, even though there are questions if the victim disappeared on her own free will. Andrea Dean, 33, was last seen on September 3, 2021. She is known to frequent the area of 91st and Ashland and the 600 block of E 44th St. where the Bronzeville and North Kenwood communities intersect. Little is known about the circumstances of her disappearance but police classify her status as endangered. However, Dean’s disappearance is filled with questions about if she just left from a problematic family, city life or if her new husband, is in some way holding her against her will.
Social media online accusations have been flying about Dean, who portrayed the character Bri in a popular independent movie series, “The Lies We Tell But the Secrets We Keep” that was filmed in Chicago. The four-part series, which was first released in 2012, is described on imbd.com as “an intensified drama-filled movie series that reveals several interlocking stories dealing with lies, secrets and infidelity. Each individual indulges in a twisted love triangle, which opens the doors to Pandora's box.” Dean’s character Bri is involved in an intense romance with the character Roni that leads the couple through several violent episodes throughout the series.
Now some are questioning if the art Dean portrayed in the movie may have caught up with her in real life. Along with the Black & Missing Foundation in Washington D.C., jcoydenreports is trying to put together information that may lead to answers about Dean’s disappearance, using public information databases and interviews with law enforcement and those who knew Dean.
Dean has nearly 21,000 followers on her Instagram account where she goes by the name mztru2i. She last posted on the account in December of 2020. But in online chatrooms, some have noticed odd behavior associated with the account. Earlier this month on May 2nd, lipstickalley.com user Princessjones19 posted a thread questioning Dean’s whereabouts and offered a theory on what may have happened.
“I found out the actress Andrea Dean who plays (Bri) is currently missing & pregnant? Anybody got any update and when I followed her on IG a few years back she had a bf (boyfriend) and two kids but now her page has been completely whipped (wiped) out and she worked at a stripclub in Chicago. I think it was either a crazed fan of her movie series that cant seperate (sp) fantasy from reality or one of her strip club clients.”
Jcoydenreports has been unable to confirm where Dean was employed at the time of her disappearance or the number of children she may have. A photo of a person believed to be Dean, which appears to show her pregnant was posted on the lipstickalley.com thread, however it cannot be independently verified at this time if that is indeed Dean. Another photo posted online to Facebook shows Dean with what appears to be baby clothes.
The last known verified address for Dean is listed as 7006 S. Calumet Ave. in Chicago, based off an arrest report that was made by the Chicago Police Department. Dean was arrested on Sept. 16, 2014 at 4541 S. Prairie for criminal damage to property. The address is a similar address listed for several of Dean’s family members. Jcoydenreports was unsuccessful in reaching Dean’s listed family members when seeking comment for this story. Those claiming to be Dean’s aunt and cousin online were contacted but did not respond to requests for an interview.
Andrea Dean Johnson on the set of one of her films is missing from Chicago. She is 33.
One person who was able to give some insight into Dean’s life was one of her co-stars. Maubra Foster had a role in the fourth series of “The Lies We Tell But the Secrets We Keep.” The veteran actress described Dean as a great actress who was fun to be around. She said Dean was often the life of the party when members of the crew would hang out together and she was shocked when she learned of Dean’s disappearance.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Foster began. “She was really cool and I liked her vibe. I think the Chicago acting community should be doing more to notify the public that she is missing. I didn’t even know about it until I saw it posted online by Milon.”
Director Milon V. Parker knew Dean better than most people having directed and acted with her in all four installments of the series, according to Foster. On Jan. 6, Parker posted about Dean’s disappearance, upset that people were inboxing her on Facebook and in her words, “being rude,” fishing for information and posting falsehoods about Andrea’s disappearance. Dean uses the name Andrea Johnson on Facebook.
“STOP INBOXING ME BEING NOSEY ABOUT WHATS GOING ON WITH Andrea Johnson! YES OF COURSE I KNOW SHE’S MISSING AND DEEP DOWN I BELIEVE SOMEONE IS POSTING FROM HER PAGE PRETENDING TO BE HER. UNLESS SHE CALLS SOMEONE OR FACETIME THEM SHE IS NOT OK. ALSO, UNLESS YOU HAVE SOME INFO ABOUT ANDREA DO NOT INBOX ME ASKING ME SH#T ESPECIALLY IF WE DONT TALK AND ARE NOT FRIENDS OR COOL. DAMN YALL BLOWING ME. YES THE FAMILY IS DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO GET IN TOUCH WITH ANDREA AND HER BABY.”
On a Jan. 7 post, another Facebook user, Jade Bester, who claims to be Andrea’s cousin, posted the following comment to Parker’s post:
“Hey, I remember you from the movie. I’m Andrea’s Little cousin and that’s not her on her page!! That guy was abusing and putting his hands on her. I KNOW that’s not her. Even when she was upset she would still call me and talk to me/answer the phone. I even looked at the text messages and that’s not how she speaks at all. My older sister said the last time she seen Andrea, She was at the DMV with Chance and she walked up to her and said “Hey, I’m Drea’s cousin” After that the dude looked annoyed and grabbed Andrea’s arm and said let’s go. never thought I’d be doing this but thank you for your help spread the word and ignore that page because it’s too weird. Any man that loves her would not only tell her to call her family but he would be talking to us as well and he’s not doing either of those things.”
Andrea Dean has a birthday coming up later this month. Those who know her said she loved to party and got along with everyone. They fear for her safety and don’t believe she went missing by accident. Her last known contact, according to police, was September of 2021.
Dean’s Facebook page is active and there are several posts credited to her since she allegedly went missing. However Parker and dozens of other people who know Dean, including her family members do not believe it is her. They believe it could be Chance Johnson, Dean’s husband, who according to people online is an abusive person. Attempts to locate Mr. Johnson for this report were unsuccessful.
Several posts in the weeks before Dean’s disappearance reference life changes. Some are original thoughts but most are just quotes about change and leaving a part of your past behind. Jcoydenreports sent a message to Dean’s Facebook account on two separate occasions seeking to confirm it was Dean and that she was safe, but there was no response to any of the messages sent. Several of those concerned about Dean’s safety have posted on her Facebook page asking her to do a live video or post a recent picture with the date of a current newspaper to prove that she is alive and safe. On March 20 a post on Dean’s Facebook account, which is under the name Andrea Johnson, states: “It’s going to be so cute when Chance Jr. is holding his baby sibling in 8 months.”
The last post attributed to Dean’s Facebook page came on April 5. The post read:
“It’s always the ones talking about minding their own business but always in someone else’s business.”
If you have any information on the whereabouts of Andrea Dean or Chance Johnson, you can contact the Chicago Police Department’s Area 1 Special Victims Unit at (312) 747-8380 or the Black & Missing Foundation (877) 97-BAMFI.
UPDATE: To view the update on this story posted December 24, 2022 click here.