Actress Chanel Maya Banks has been found safe following a missing persons report filed by her family.
TMZ reported on Wednesday (November 13) that the Gossip Girl star has been found, with law enforcement officials telling the outlet that the star doesn't have any injuries and that no foul play is suspected in the case.
No further information has been disclosed at this time.
The update comes after Banks' family spoke out earlier this week, stating that the actress hadn't been heard from since October 30 - which was out of character. LAPD officials confirmed that welfare checks had been carried out at Banks' property on November 7 and November 8, with no sign of the actress.
ORIGINAL:The family of actress Chanel Maya Banks says she has mysteriously vanished from her Playa Vista home, sparking a frantic search.
As reported by ABC7 News, the 36-year-old actress - who is known for her roles in Blue Bloods and Gossip Girl - was last heard from on October 30, and her sudden disappearance has left her loved ones and fans deeply concerned.
Chanel's family, who have flown in from various locations including Toronto, are spearheading the search efforts. Her cousin, Danielle-Tori Singh, described Chanel as more like a sister, stating: "She doesn't go more than 48 hours without speaking to me or her mom... Five days without hearing from my cousin is red flags and alarm bells."
KTLA 5 reports that the Los Angeles Police Department has confirmed that investigators are working on the case.
Authorities have reportedly performed four welfare checks at Chanel's apartment across November 7 and November 8, finding her personal belongings and her dog, but no signs of Chanel herself.
The family claims that the situation has been made more complex by the behavior of her husband of one year, who, according to Singh, "is not willing to help LAPD".
"He's not willing to help me or her mom find her. He is removing flyers off of posts and cars," Singh alleged.
Driven by desperation, the family has initiated a GoFundMe to cover the costs of hiring a private investigator to delve deeper into Chanel's mysterious disappearance.
In the page description, Singh writes: "Hi, my name is Danielle and my cousin Chanel is missing.
"She lives in the Playa Vista area in Los Angeles, California. Our last contact with her was October 30, 2024."
"Chanel is an official missing person in California. Her missing person Case # 241414853," Singh continues. "She has been married for just over a year, and her husband is being uncooperative with police.
"On November 10 my aunt and I were able to get into the apartment and all of her belongings are still there. The only items we did not locate are her phone and laptop. She also does not go anywhere without her little dog, which also has been left behind. She also does not have her vehicle because it’s parked in her garage.
"She would NEVER go anywhere without telling her mom or myself."
The page description goes on to allege that Banks' family saw her husband with a " busted lip and marks and scratches on his neck and arms" - injuries that were apparently photographed and documented by officers.
"We asked him where is Chanel, and all he continues to say is 'she does not want to be found, she will reach out when she’s ready,'" the page description adds. "He claims he does not know where she is, he says he hasn’t seen or heard from her since November 7, but never called police to say she’s gone."
Singh adds that LAPD has stated that there are currently no signs of foul play and that Banks' husband has not committed any crimes.
"There’s nothing they can do until they have evidence or probable cause to arrest him," the concerned cousin writes. "We also need money for hotels, food, rental car and gas. [...] Chanel has no family or friends here and would NEVER go somewhere without telling her mom. Please help us find my cousin."
As of this writing, more than $3,000 has been raised via donations to the page.
Per ABC7, Singh expressed a haunting unease about her cousin's fate, saying: "I can tell you in my soul, in my gut, something is not right... We're crossing two weeks now without a word, without a sound. Nothing."
Per KTLA 5, Banks' family say that the actress moved to Los Angeles 10 years ago in order to pursue a career in acting.
Banks (who has also performed under the name Chanel Farrell), is perhaps best known for her role as Sawyer Bennett in the hit show Gossip Girl - one of Jenny Humphrey's friends.
Danielle told KTLA 5: "I'm not going to leave California until I find my cousin."
And in an emotional message directed to Chanel, Danielle said: "We love you so much. We just want to know you're okay and that you're safe and that nobody did anything to you."=
Additionally, Banks' mother, Judy, asked for prayers, saying: "Pray for my daughter because at this point, we don't know exactly [what happened]."
In recent years, Chanel had shifted her focus from acting to writing.
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