Who Is Wanetta Gibson and Where Is She Now?

Wanetta Gibson is an African-American woman from Loss Angeles who accused Brian Banks, the promising football star, of kidnapping and rape.

Wanetta Gibson falsely accused her schoolmate, Brian Banks, of kidnap and rape, making the aspiring football star spend six long years in prison after she received an award of $1.5 million from her school. Gibson later came up to exonerate Banks of the accusation but did not go to prison since the footballer decided to pardon her offenses.

Wanetta Gibson’s Ethnicity is Afro-American

Details like Wanetta Gibson’s date of birth are not available for public consumption, but according to reports, she is an Afro-American by ethnicity and originally came from LA, California. Brian Banks’ false accuser has never mentioned any of her family members in public, but it was her mother who assisted in filling the rape case against Banks.

Gibson was a student of Long Beach Polytechnic High School, California, when she first crossed paths with Banks. There is no record of further academic qualifications for the African-American lady.

How Old Was Gibson When She Accused Banks?

Wanetta was just a 15-year-old girl in 2002 when she decided to level false rape accusations against her schoolmate, Brian Banks. At the time of this occurrence, Brian had just turned 16 and was one of the most promising varsity football players in the school in the process of being recruited by the best colleges in the US on a football scholarship while Gibson was functioning as a cheerleader.

How the Wanetta Gibson/ Brian Banks Case Started

Wanetta Gibson was a cheerleader at Poly High School, Los Angeles, CA, when she met an aspiring football star in the school, Brian Banks, during the summer season of 2002. Brian, a then 16-year-old, was going to discuss his college application with the staff at the school office when Gibson bumped into him. Reports said the two ended up making out in a stairway, but there was nothing like sexual intercourse.

Investigations revealed that Brian upset Gibson with his utterances, leading to them parting on bad terms. The promising high school footballer was greatly surprised when Wanetta called the authorities with claims that she was kidnapped, dragged, and rapped in one of the school’s stairways by him.

This accusation set a very nasty legal proceeding into motion as Wanetta Gibson held fast to her accusations. She refused to bark down even when no traces of sexual abuse or rape was found after she was tested by investigators. On his part, Brian maintained that any sexual contact he had with Gibson was consensual and that they did not have sex.

Brian Banks.

He had his entire life ahead of him coming out of school. He was proposed to be one of the best football players America had ever seen.

Until Wanetta Gibson, a cheerleader falsely accused him of rape and he was sent to jail. pic.twitter.com/7AHCQR0P9e

— Chima (@chimaihueze) July 23, 2020

Circumstances that Led To Bank’s Conviction

Despite his plea of innocence, Brian’s lawyer advised the youngster to plead no contest as he feared Banks might end up with 41 years behind bars if found guilty and convicted. Expecting that his sentence would not exceed 18 months, Brian heeded the advice of his lawyer, which earned him six years jail sentence.

Even after his release, he was compelled to register as a sex offender; thus, remaining on probation for 11 years under strict electronic monitoring and getting a job was impossible. With that said, Wanetta Gibson went ahead to sue her school for failure to protect female students, sweeping a $1.5 million settlement in the process.

The primary $750,000 was eventually paid out of the total $1.5 million in 2007, with the rest pending. At a point, the head of the California Innocence Project, Justin Brooks, took over Brian’s case. According to Brooks, he found the youngster’s tale very compelling, describing his case for innocence to be so clear that he just had to take on the case.

Immediately after Brian left jail, he was contacted by Gibson via Facebook in March 2011, where she requested that they meet. At the meeting, Wanetta admitted to her deception, saying there was nothing like kidnap and rape, and she was ready to help him clear his record. Brian was smart enough to record the exchange, and upon presenting it to the authorities, they had no option but to grant him a second trial.

Even though Wanetta Gibson refused to admit to the content of the tape in front of the prosecutors for fear that she would be made to return the large sum she received from Long Beach Schools, Brian’s innocence was eventually proved, and he was acquitted of all allegations. Banks was overcome with emotions as he broke down at the Californian court and wept for joy.

Eventually, the Long Beach Unified School District got awarded a $2.6 million judgment against Gibson after Brian’s innocence was proved. The remaining part of her settlement was canceled. Gibson received a deluge of hate for her actions.

So you’re saying Crystal Mangum, Tawana Brawley, Jackie Coakley, Nikki Yovino, and Wanetta Gibson really were sexually assaulted?

Get out of here with this crap. https://t.co/1mejNTWsAm

— Ashe Short (@AsheSchow) October 2, 2018

Where is Wanetta Gibson Now?

Since Brian Bank’s case was overturned at a Californian court, people have been expecting to hear that the false accuser, Wanetta Gibson, has ended up behind bars, but that is not the case as she is free as a bird.

The reason for the absolute freedom she enjoys is that Brian has refused to launch a lawsuit against her for ruining his life and a promising football career. According to Brian, he decided against suing Gibson after considering her family and children, including their poor financial situation.

Brian said he equally had to appreciate that Wanetta won’t have any support from the legal system. Bank’s decision baffled fans who failed to understand how he could easily forgive someone that caused him so much pain. In his explanation, the aspiring football star said he believes everybody deserves a second chance in life.

It was also his desire to set an excellent example for victims of false accusations all over the world. Bank’s demonstrated how Gibson’s further media exposure might likely deter the real rape victims from coming forward to demand their rights. Continued media exposure of Wanetta would merely serve to further victimize and oppress rape victims.

Yes, Gibson’s false accusations truncated Bank’s aspirations to become a superstar NFL player, but he decided to let bygones be bygones. While what Wanetta Gibson is currently doing with her life has remained unknown, it has been established that she is still resident in the US and is a mother of two.

Key Facts About Wanetta Gibson

1. Who is Wanetta Gibson? Wanetta Gibson is an African-American woman known for falsely accusing Brian Banks, a former American football player, of sexual assault in 2002. She was born in 1987 in the United States.
2. What is Wanetta Gibson known for? Gibson is notorious for her false accusation against Brian Banks, which resulted in his imprisonment for nearly six years and five years on parole. Later, she admitted to fabricating the story, leading to Banks’ release.
3. How old was Wanetta Gibson when she accused Brian Banks? Gibson was 15 years old in 2002 when she accused Banks, who was then 16, of sexually assaulting her.
4. What happened to Brian Banks after the accusation? Following the accusation, Banks was arrested and placed in juvenile detention. He was also expelled from Long Beach Polytechnic High School. To avoid a potential life sentence, he agreed to a plea deal that included five years in prison, five years of probation, and registration as a sex offender.
5. What happened to Wanetta Gibson after the accusation? Gibson and her mother sued the Long Beach Unified School District for lack of security, winning a $1.5 million compensation. However, in 2013, Gibson was ordered to repay $2.6 million to the school district following her confession of false accusation.
6. Did Wanetta Gibson admit to the false accusations? Yes, Gibson contacted Banks on Facebook in 2011 and admitted in a meeting that she had made up the story. This confession was secretly recorded by Banks, which eventually led to his release and exoneration.
7. Why didn’t Gibson face legal consequences after her confession? Gibson’s confession was secretly recorded and was not followed by a formal confession to the authorities. She resisted admitting she lied publicly for fear of having to return the compensation she and her family had won in court.
8. What was the aftermath of Gibson’s confession? Following Gibson’s confession, the California Innocence Project took on Banks’ case and gathered new evidence. Banks’ conviction was vacated on May 24, 2012, and he was able to restart his sporting career.
9. Did Wanetta Gibson go to prison? No, despite her false accusations and their severe impact on Brian Banks’ life, Gibson did not face criminal charges or imprisonment. She was, however, ordered to repay the compensation she had received from her lawsuit against the school district.
10. What happened to Brian Banks after his release? After his release, Banks joined the United Football League’s Las Vegas Locomotives as an undrafted free agent in 2012. He then signed with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons in 2013. He also participated in the 2013 Innocence March to support others unfairly convicted.
11. Who is Brian Banks? Born on July 24, 1985, Brian Keith Banks is a retired American football player. He was a promising young athlete whose career was derailed by Gibson’s false accusations but resumed his football career after his exoneration.
12. How did the false accusations affect Brian Banks’ life? The false accusations resulted in Banks spending six years in prison and five years on parole. His promising football career was interrupted, and he had to register as a sex offender as part of his plea agreement.
13. Did Brian Banks forgive Wanetta Gibson? Yes, Banks chose not to take legal action against Gibson for the false accusations, considering her family and children, as well as their financial situation. He believes in second chances and wanted to set an example for victims of false accusations worldwide.
14. What was the public reaction to Wanetta Gibson’s actions? The public reacted with outrage and disbelief to Gibson’s false accusations and their severe impact on Banks’ life. Her Facebook page was suspended, and she received a lot of criticism and hate for her actions.
15. Where is Wanetta Gibson now? Gibson’s current whereabouts are unknown. After her confession and the subsequent order to repay the compensation she had received, she has largely stayed out of the public eye.