Chanel Maya Banks, best known for her role in Gossip Girl, has taken legal action against her mother and cousin, Danielle-Tori Singh. A month after being reported missing, the 36-year-old actress filed restraining orders alleging harassment and defamation.
In the documents obtained by Us Weekly, Banks accused her mother and cousin of conspiring to damage her reputation and career. She stated they fabricated a narrative that she was missing and falsely claimed her husband, referred to as CJ, was involved in her disappearance.
Banks also alleged that her mother and cousin broke into her home and physically assaulted her husband, leaving him with visible injuries. These incidents, she claims, were orchestrated to publicly humiliate her.
The controversy began in November when Singh and Banks’ mother reported her missing after a welfare check at her Los Angeles home. Singh told media outlets she was alarmed by five days of no contact, describing Banks as more like a sister than a cousin.
Shortly after the report, the Los Angeles police confirmed that Banks was safe. Banks later released a statement clarifying that she was never missing and addressed deeper issues involving her family.
In a public statement to True Crime News, Banks shared her experience of lifelong abuse and manipulation by her family. She described them as controlling her decisions and fabricating mental health issues to restrict her freedom.
Banks emphasized that she has cut ties with her family and is now living freely. She denied any history of mental health problems, aside from minor legal infractions, and accused her family of using falsified documents to maintain control over her.
