Chanel Banks Sets Record Straight on Missing Person Allegations After Family Claims Woman Found Is Not Her
After being missing for several days, Chanel Maya Banks finally resurfaced on social media to address concerns about her safety.
In a post she shared on her Instagram, Banks confidently declared, " I heard you were looking for me, now what?"
The "Gossip Girl" star also revealed the real reason she had gone missing.
Banks also took the time to chat with Extra in order to reassure everyone that she is safe and sound despite concerns raised by her family that she was "still missing."
The 34-year-old shared the reason behind her being in Texas, stating, "I had to take myself out of a bad situation, and I'm sure a lot of people can relate to that. And what transpired from that is what you are seeing in the media now, specifically from the people I've gotten away from."
Despite her family's claims that she had been missing for weeks, Banks adamantly denies this accusation.
She stated, "I mean, the day I left was exactly seven days ago today. I haven't been gone for three weeks. I haven't been missing for three weeks. I'm an adult woman. I don't have to call my mother every day."
In her perspective, her mother deceived the authorities by insisting she had been missing for just a day.
Banks expands on her point by saying that her mother's actual reaction stemmed from losing control only recently, stressing the importance of this shift in their relationship.
As for why she left, the "Blue Bloods" star said, "Lately, in the past couple months, I noticed the leash was getting longer, so I took advantage of that, and I kind of made preparations to head out, so to speak."
"And I think that's what really bamboozled her and got her really upset. And every single time I've, in the past, I've tried to escape, she shows up to my house."
Banks' recent social media post and her most recent public statement comes after her family has refuted claims made by authorities in Texas about the identity of the woman found, insisting that the person is not Banks and they need to continue looking for her.
Her cousin Danielle-Tori Singh said on Instagram, via Radar Online, "This is the woman they're telling us is Chanel. We have told them this is not Chanel. They didn't listen to us and closed the case. That's why [Banks] won't post a video saying she's safe because it's not Chanel."
In the Extra interview, Banks touched on her cousins' claims, saying, "It wasn't enough that the LAPD verified my identity. It wasn't enough that the Texas law enforcement verified my identity. It wasn't enough that there was a camera with me speaking on it clear as day, saying, 'Please, leave me alone.' It wasn't enough."
In regards to her cousin questioning her safety, Banks disclosed that she and Singh have not talked to each for a decade, after the latter's claims in TV interviews that the actress "is more like a big sister to me."
Upon hearing that Banks was going on an interview, Singh took to her Facebook page to say "proof of life confirmed" for Banks along with a video that showed the actress in the background. Singh also said they were going on a press conference the same time Banks' interview goes live.
