Los Angeles actress Chanel Maya Banks, recognized for her role in the popular television series “Gossip Girl,” has been located and is safe, according to authorities. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) confirmed on Wednesday that Banks, who had been reported missing since October 30, is unharmed and that no foul play is suspected in her disappearance. This announcement brings a degree of closure to a case that had sparked concern among family and fans, though some family members are expressing reservations about the official account.
The LAPD stated that the case is now closed, refraining from disclosing further details regarding the circumstances of Banks being found. However, shortly after the announcement, messages surfaced on a social media account purportedly belonging to Banks, bearing the headline “I am not missing.” These posts claimed she had willingly left her family home to escape alleged abuse, describing her family environment as a “cage.”
Despite the LAPD’s update and the social media messages, Banks’ cousin, Danielle-Tori Singh, remains unconvinced. Singh dismissed the news as “fake news” and declared her intention to continue distributing flyers appealing for information about Banks’ whereabouts. This divergence in perspectives highlights the complexities and unresolved questions surrounding the situation.
Earlier in the week, Singh had relayed to ABC7 that a tip had directed police to a residence in Texas. At this location, a woman identifying herself as Chanel Maya Banks answered the door. Singh further explained that the police subsequently showed body camera footage of this encounter to Banks’ family. According to Singh, the family believes the woman in the video was not Chanel Maya Banks, stating that she did not resemble the actress as she appeared during their last FaceTime call.
Prior to the police announcement of her being found, relatives had reported the 36-year-old actress, a resident of Playa Vista, missing after not hearing from her for several weeks. Authorities had conducted welfare checks at her residence. Family members, concerned by her prolonged absence, entered her apartment, where she lived with her husband of one year, and found her belongings and her dog still present.
Singh, who traveled from Toronto to assist in the search, emphasized her close relationship with her cousin. She explained that the lack of communication from Banks for even a short period was highly unusual and immediately raised alarms for her and other family members.
“Five days without hearing from my cousin is red flags and alarm bells,” Singh had stated earlier in the week. “She doesn’t go more than 48 hours without speaking to me or her mom. … That girl is more like a big sister to me.” However, the Instagram account attributed to Banks contradicted this, stating, “I have not spoken to Danielle in over 15 years much less every day or 48hrs as they’ve perjured.” This public disagreement further complicates the narrative and raises questions about the family dynamics at play.
Singh also mentioned that Banks’ husband had been uncooperative with both the family and the LAPD in their efforts to locate her. “He’s not willing to help LAPD. He’s not willing to help me or her mom find her,” Singh said. She also alleged that he was removing missing person flyers that had been posted in the area.
Chanel Maya Banks’ IMDB page credits her with appearances in television shows including “Blue Bloods,” “Twelve,” and “Gossip Girl,” sometimes using the name Chanel Farrell professionally. Singh indicated that her cousin had been shifting her career focus from acting towards writing in recent years.
“I can tell you in my soul, in my gut, something is not right,” Singh had expressed on Tuesday, before the announcement. “We’re crossing two weeks now without a word, without a sound. Nothing.” Despite the LAPD’s statement that Banks is safe and the case is closed, the conflicting accounts and the family’s continued skepticism suggest that the full story behind Chanel Maya Banks’ disappearance and reappearance is yet to be completely understood.
