LOS ANGELES—Family members of an actress who had been missing for a week and appeared in popular TV shows like “Gossip Girl” and “Blue Bloods” announced on Friday that she had been located. They also stated that they would be returning any donations made to a GoFundMe page that was set up to assist in the search effort.
The family’s acknowledgment came after the actress, Chanel Maya Banks, 36, of Playa Vista, posted a video on social media on Thursday night, mentioning her upcoming television interview. This followed her Instagram posts on Wednesday reassuring everyone that she was safe and advising against donating to the GoFundMe page.
Banks was reported missing on November 8, with the last contact from her being on October 30. The GoFundMe page, organized by Banks’ cousin Danielle-Tori Singh, reported that welfare checks at her apartment on November 7 to 8 yielded no results.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) confirmed on Wednesday that Banks had been found safely after receiving information from Texas authorities. The LAPD stated that no criminal activity was involved, and the case was closed.
However, contradicting media reports, Singh insisted on social media that her cousin was still missing. She shared an 8-minute video on Facebook denouncing the reports.
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Singh mentioned that a woman in Texas was found with an expired New York City driver’s license bearing Banks’ name but clarified that the woman was not her cousin. She urged people to continue searching for Banks despite the misinformation circulating.
She claimed to have seen body cam footage of the woman in Texas and asserted that it was not Banks, as the woman couldn’t answer personal questions about their family or herself.
The GoFundMe page created by Singh had raised over $4,100 by Wednesday morning to support the search effort.
Later that Wednesday, Banks posted on her Instagram, stating that she had met with the police and confirmed her safety. She revealed details of enduring past abuse and manipulation by her family, leading to her departure.
She concluded by mentioning her family’s plan to obtain a conservatorship over her, seeking complete legal control, prompting her decision to leave.
