Authorities report that the search for Chanel Maya Banks, known for her role in “Gossip Girl,” has ended after her family reported her missing on Friday.
On Monday, Banks, 36, was found in Texas—just days after the missing persons report was filed and nearly two weeks since her family last heard from her, according to Los Angeles Police Department representative Charles Miller, as stated to YSL News on Thursday.
“There’s no indication of foul play, and she has been removed from our missing persons database,” Miller explained. “Our investigation is now closed.”
Besides “Gossip Girl,” Banks is recognized for her role as Maria Romando in “Blue Bloods.” In a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times and various social media posts, she claimed she was not actually missing but was trying to distance herself from her family due to abusive circumstances.
“I’m okay. I needed to create distance,” Banks shared with The Times. “I just want to escape those people.”
While Banks was unaccounted for, her family took actions such as making flyers, requesting welfare checks, and creating a now-closed GoFundMe to assist in her search.
They also held a press conference on Wednesday.
‘Our concerns remain,’: Chanel Maya Banks’ cousin speaks out
In an interview with The Times, Banks’ cousin, Danielle-Tori Singh, stated that their last FaceTime conversation on October 27 was abruptly disconnected.
At the Wednesday press conference, Singh and Banks’ mother, Judy Kumar, expressed that they were still unaware of Banks’ whereabouts.
“The LAPD’s missing persons division has decided to close the case,” Singh remarked. “They believe they have identified her, but that does not provide us with enough assurance, leaving us in a state of uncertainty.”
According to Banks’ mother and cousin, the woman authorities found did not resemble Chanel Banks at all. Singh added that the woman presented officers with an expired New York ID.
“What I can tell you is that I have no confidence that it was her,” Singh mentioned. “Someone may be using her identification and impersonating her. I don’t know where she is, but I’m certain we will find her.”
Singh also remarked: “The woman I saw didn’t look like my cousin. Banks’ mom added, “I know what my daughter looks like.” Conversely, Banks contended that her mother and cousin were misrepresenting the situation to the press.
Singh and other family members have pledged to keep searching for Banks, who they believe remains unaccounted for, as reported by ABC7 Eyewitness News.
“We can only share what we discovered during our investigation,” Miller stated to YSL News on Thursday. “We verified her location with local authorities in Texas.”
‘I am not lost,’ claims Chanel Maya Banks on social media
Banks insists she is “not lost,” asserting on her Instagram bio and in several stories that her choice to separate from her husband and family was intentional.
“I simply want to break free from a toxic relationship and the accompanying family,” his bio states. “That’s my right. That’s all there is to it. They fabricated EVERYTHING else.”
On Wednesday, Banks also provided a statement to True Crime News.
“I’m Chanel Banks, a 36-year-old American who has endured silent suffering from ritualistic abuse, manipulation, and persistent torment throughout my life, inflicted by my so-called family, who are now feigning concern for my safety,” she stated. “I’ve met with law enforcement and confirmed I’m safe and finally free.”
Banks added more details through her Instagram stories, discussing the actual reasons for her departure, the nature of the alleged abuse, her strained family ties, and claims that her family and husband sought a conservatorship over her.
Chanel Maya Banks’ husband responds to conservatorship claims
Banks mentioned on Instagram that she consulted with local law enforcement and assured them that she was “alright.”
<p”Once one finds freedom in Christ, one is indeed free,” Banks wrote. “I told my husband six days ago about my baptism plans with my favorite pastor, Robert Clancy. He took me to the airport, and I spent the week away and I saw it as a chance to escape my circumstances.”
At the time of this article’s publication, Banks has archived several Instagram posts, but her statements regarding her disappearance remain visible in her stories.
Carlos Jimenez, Banks’ husband, has also refuted allegations that his family was trying to obtain a conservatorship over her. He mentioned to The Times that Banks had advised him not to share any details regarding her location with law enforcement. Additionally, Jimenez claimed that Banks had accused her relatives of abuse even before they reported her missing.
“I believe she’s doing this of her own free will,” Jimenez told The Times. “I respect her decision not to communicate with me or her family.”
A cousin of Banks claimed to The Times that her husband has been “uncooperative” with the family during the search for her.
Who is Chanel Maya Banks?
Chanel Maya Banks is an actress known for her roles in TV shows like “Gossip Girl,” “Blue Bloods,” and “Twelve,” as per her IMDB profile.
