LOS ANGELES — Chanel Maya Banks, a 36-year-old actor known for her roles in Gossip Girl and Blue Bloods, was reported missing for two weeks before police in Texas announced she had been found safe. However, Banks’ family disputes this claim, insisting they have yet to make contact with her.
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Banks’ cousin, Danielle-Tori Singh, who traveled from Toronto to Los Angeles to aid in the search, voiced the family’s alarm over her sudden disappearance. “Five days without hearing from my cousin is red flags and alarm bells,” Singh told media. “She doesn’t go more than 48 hours without speaking to me or her mom… She’s more like a big sister to me.”
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The family reported Banks missing after they lost contact with her on Oct. 30. Attempts to locate her included welfare checks on her Los Angeles apartment on Nov. 7 and 8, where she was reportedly not present, according to updates on a GoFundMe page created by her family.
On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) confirmed that Banks had been found safe in Texas, adding that no foul play was suspected and that the case was now considered closed.
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Family Expresses Skepticism Over Police Claim
Despite the LAPD’s statement, Banks’ family expressed serious doubts, saying they believed she had not truly been found. Singh questioned the identification made by Texas police, noting that the family has been unable to contact Banks directly. After viewing body camera footage of the woman Texas officers spoke to, the family claimed the person looked and sounded different from Banks.
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Singh criticized the Texas police investigation as “lousy,” stating that their family’s concerns have not been adequately addressed.
The LAPD maintains that the case is closed but has not commented on the family’s claims. As the situation unfolds, questions remain about Banks’ whereabouts and the circumstances surrounding her reported discovery.