Missing 'Gossip Girl' actor Chanel Maya Banks found safe
Chanel Maya Banks, an actor whose family said she went missing for two weeks, has been found safe in Texas, police said.
Family members of the 36-year-old, who appeared on "Gossip Girl" and "Blue Bloods," said they had not heard from her since Oct. 30.
Her cousin, Danielle-Tori Singh, who flew into Los Angeles from Toronto to help search for her, said the two are very close and that the family became concerned when they didn't hear from her.
"Five days without hearing from my cousin is red flags and alarm bells," Singh told Los Angeles ABC station KABC. "She doesn't go more than 48 hours without speaking to me or her mom. ... That girl is more like a big sister to me."
The family previously said on GoFundMe that they had reported her missing, and that she was not in her apartment during welfare checks on Nov. 7 and 8.
On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Police Department said Banks has been found safe, and no foul play is suspected.
The case is now considered closed, police said.
But the family objected to the LAPD's claims on Wednesday, telling reporters they do not believe Banks has in fact been found.
Singh expressed doubt the woman police said they'd found was Banks, and said the family still has not been able to contact her. The family viewed body camera footage, and said the woman Texas police spoke to looked and sounded different than Banks.
Singh criticized the Texas police officers' investigation as "lousy."
Police maintain the case is considered closed, and have not commented on the family's claims.
