'Gossip Girl' alum Chanel Maya Banks accuses family of 'abuse and manipulation' after being found safe

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Chanel Maya Banks, best known for her roles on 'Gossip Girl' and 'Blue Bloods', released a statement on Wednesday, November 13, accusing her family of long-standing abuse.

The 36-year-old actress, whose family claimed she had been missing from her Los Angeles home since October 30, was found safe and uninjured in Texas on Monday, as confirmed by the Los Angeles Police Department on Wednesday, according to People. No foul play was suspected. 

Chanel Maya Banks claims she has endured endless torment since she was a defenseless baby

Chanel Maya Banks' own account reveals a far darker narrative than her family has shared, painting a portrait of abuse and betrayal that, according to her, has spanned her entire life, according to OK! Magazine. 

Taking to Instagram, she wrote, "My name is Chanel Banks. I’m a 36-year-old American nobody, and for my entire life I have been silently carrying the pain of the ritual… abuse, manipulation, and outright endless torment I’ve endured continuously since I was a defenseless baby, at the hands of my own so-called family, whom are all so very ‘concerned’ about my current whereabouts." 

Banks said that she had, in fact, met with the police and verified her well-being, asserting, "I’m finally free from my mother." 

Describing her recent escape as both spiritual and literal, the actress mentioned that she left under the direction of her faith.

She explained, "God said: I’m going to give you some money, and I was shocked when it appeared just like He said," adding that this unexpected financial windfall enabled her to leave, or as she described it, "I made my Exodus and took my Freedom Ride first class (on Spirit air no less) to the Promise Land."

Banks’ husband reportedly supported her decision to take a trip for a week-long religious retreat, but for the 36-year-old, this was an opportunity to "escape [her] cage."

Chanel Maya Banks claims her family was trying to place her under a conservatorship

Chanel Maya Banks further detailed how, as she prepared to leave, she discovered her family’s alleged efforts to maintain control over her.

She claimed they attempted to place her under a conservatorship, similar to the legal restrictions imposed on Britney Spears, to control her decisions and silence her.

"I found out hours before leaving that not only my mother’s family, but also my dear husband’s, were vehemently pursuing a CONSERVATORSHIP ie complete legal control to silence me," revealed Banks. 

For her, this revelation was the last straw. She declared, "There will be no more lies. Everything in the darkness must come to light."

In an emotional plea, Banks expressed her desire for justice, not just for herself, but for others who may have endured similar suffering.

"I want to come out so that people like me won’t be ashamed anymore. I want Justice. I’m asking God to help me get justice," wrote Banks, vowing never to allow her voice to be silenced by her alleged abusers.

Chanel Maya Banks' family at odds with LAPD

After the LAPD announced that Chanel Maya Banks was found safe, her family expressed doubts, claiming that the woman seen with the Texas police on body camera footage looked and sounded different than the actress.

Her family, especially her cousin Danielle-Tori Singh, maintains that they were only acting out of concern, noting their typically close connection and frequent communication, as per ABC News. 

Singh traveled from Toronto to Los Angeles in hopes of assisting in the search and even launched a GoFundMe to cover private investigator costs.

Banks rebuked Singh's claims, stating that she hadn’t spoken to her cousin in over 15 years and accusing her family of controlling her under the guise of concern.

The actress also asked people not to donate to any GoFundMe that says she is missing."  

Her updated Instagram bio reads, "I AM NOT MISSING. I just want to be free of a toxic woman and her family. That’s my right. That’s it. The end. They made up LITERALLY everything else✌️."