Chanel Maya Banks, the talented actress known for her roles in Blue Bloods and Gossip Girl, has been found safe after a brief period of being missing. TMZ broke the news on November 13, confirming that there were no signs of foul play, according to law enforcement officials. This update came after her family had desperately appealed to the public for help in locating her.
Her cousin, Danielle-Tori Singh, spoke with Eyewitness News, sharing that Banks had last been seen or heard from on October 30. In response to her disappearance, her family traveled to California to assist in the search and even distributed flyers in the hope of finding her. This heartfelt effort truly demonstrated the deep concern and love her family held for her.
“Five days without hearing from my cousin is absolutely alarming,” Singh expressed to the outlet on November 13. “She doesn’t go more than 48 hours without speaking to me or her mom. That girl is like a big sister to me. Her absence really set off warning bells for us.”
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Authorities Conduct Welfare Checks But Encounter Challenges
Law enforcement conducted welfare checks at Banks’ California home, but unfortunately, they were unable to locate her at the time. Singh mentioned that Banks’ husband, whose name remains undisclosed, was reportedly uncooperative with authorities. “He’s not willing to help LAPD or even us, her family, to find her. In fact, he’s been taking down the flyers we’ve put up,” Singh explained, frustration evident in her voice.
Community Support and a GoFundMe Campaign
In an effort to continue the search, Singh established a GoFundMe page to assist the family with expenses related to the search, such as hotels, food, rental cars, and gas. At the time, Banks was officially classified as a missing person in California. Singh detailed on the fundraiser page that upon entering Banks’ apartment on November 10, all her belongings were still present except for her phone, laptop, and her beloved little dog, which she never left behind. Her car was also still parked in the garage.
“Chanel would never go anywhere without telling her mom or me. This situation just didn’t add up,” Singh emphasized, urging the public to help. The family managed to raise over $3,000 of their $20,000 goal before Banks was thankfully found safe.
On the GoFundMe page, Singh also revealed that Banks’ husband claimed he hadn’t seen or heard from his wife since November 7. She further explained, “I’m creating this GoFundMe because we need to hire a private investigator. LAPD has told us that without evidence or probable cause, there’s nothing they can do. We’re doing everything we can to ensure her safety.”
Family’s Gratitude and Hope
“We’re not from Los Angeles. I flew in from Toronto, Canada, and her mom flew here from New York,” Singh wrote. “Chanel has no family or friends here and would NEVER go somewhere without telling her mom. Please help us find my cousin.”
According to IMDb, Banks appeared in three episodes of Gossip Girl as Sawyer Bennett in 2009, the film Twelve in 2010, and as Maria Romano in Blue Bloods in 2010. She was credited as Chanel Farrell in all her acting appearances.
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“Pray for my daughter because at this point, we don’t know exactly [what happened],” Banks’ mom said before her daughter was found, per KTLA. “We’re hearing stuff here and there, people saying this and that, but I know that’s not my daughter.”
