Rising Concerns as ‘Gossip Girl’ Actress Vanishes Without a Trace in Los Angeles
Family members are desperately searching for Chanel Maya Banks, a 36-year-old actress who mysteriously disappeared from her Playa Vista home in Los Angeles on October 30, 2024. Banks, known for her roles in popular TV shows like “Blue Bloods” and “Gossip Girl,” hasn’t been heard from in over two weeks, sparking intense worry among her loved ones.
Danielle-Tori Singh, who flew in from Toronto to join the search efforts, says that five days without hearing from her cousin raises serious concerns. “She doesn’t go more than 48 hours without speaking to me or her mom.”
The circumstances surrounding Banks’ disappearance are raising serious concerns. She left her car parked at her Playa Vista apartment along Jefferson Boulevard, and found her dog alone in the residence. What’s even more concerning is that her phone stopped functioning after she sent her last text message on October 30.
The Los Angeles Police Department has conducted four separate welfare checks at Banks’ home, but these visits have only deepened the family’s fears. Adding to their distress, Banks’ husband of one year appears to be distancing himself from the search efforts.
“He’s not willing to help LAPD. He’s not willing to help me or her mom find her,” Singh reveals. “He is removing flyers off of posts and cars.”
Judy Singh, Banks’ mother, flew in from New York to join the desperate search. “Pray for my daughter because, at this point, we don’t know exactly [what happened],” she pleads. “We are hearing stuff here and there, people saying this and that, but I know that’s not my daughter.”
Banks moved to Los Angeles over a decade ago to pursue her acting dreams. While she achieved success with roles in several popular TV shows, family members say she had recently shifted her focus to writing. She sometimes performed under the name Chanel Farrell.
The family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to hire a private investigator, feeling that local law enforcement isn’t treating the case with sufficient urgency. They’re determined to keep searching until they find answers.
“I can tell you in my soul, in my gut, something is not right,” Danielle-Tori Singh emphasizes. “We’re crossing two weeks without a word, without a sound. Nothing.”
“I’m not going to leave California until I find my cousin,” she adds, her voice breaking with emotion.
The disappearance has sparked a community-wide search effort, with family members distributing flyers throughout Banks’ neighborhood. They’re urging anyone with information about her whereabouts to contact local authorities immediately.
For a woman who regularly stayed in touch with her family and maintained an active presence in her community, this prolonged silence is completely out of character. As days turn into weeks, her family’s concern only grows stronger, driving them to expand their search efforts across the Los Angeles area.
Investigators are asking anyone with information about Chanel Maya Banks’ whereabouts to contact the Los Angeles Police Department immediately. The family continues their tireless search, hoping each new day will bring answers about their loved one’s disappearance.