Gossip Girl actress Chanel Maya Banks missing: Everything we know so far

She had a role in season three


A search is ongoing for Chanel Maya Banks, an actress who has gone missing in Los Angeles, ABC7 reports.

The 36-year-old, who mysteriously vanished from her apartment in Playa Vista, starred in Gossip Girl, Blue Bloods, and Twelve as per IMDb, but hasn’t done any acting since then.

She has been missing since October 30, which was the last time the family spoke to her.

Chanel’s cousin Danielle-Tori Singh told reporters that they spoke via Facetime on 27 October. She then texted them on 30 October.

Family members went round to her apartment, where she had been living with her husband of one year, and all of her belongings were still there except for a phone and laptop.

She even left her dog and car behind.

“Five days without hearing from my cousin is red flags and alarm bells,” Singh said. “She doesn’t go more than 48 hours without speaking to me or her mom.”

“In my soul, in my gut – something is not right.”

Danielle has set up a GoFundMe, where she claimed Chanel’s husband is being “uncooperative with police” and “has a busted lip and marks and scratches on his neck and arms”.

“We asked him where is Chanel, and all he continues to say is ‘She does not want to be found, she will reach out when she’s ready’,” she wrote.

However, the LAPD told them there are no signs of foul play and her husband has not committed any crime by withholding information.

Chanel Maya Banks in Gossip Girl as Sawyer Bennett

Credit: Gossip Girl

Who did she play in Gossip Girl?

She only had a small part in the teen drama, playing a character called Sawyer Bennett in season three, which was released in 2009.

Sawyer is a girl at Constance Billard School for Girls who used to be friends with Jenny Humphrey.

Her longest scene is in episode three, when she walks over to Jenny and says “Twins” as the pair have the same designer bag, even though it hasn’t been released yet.

“You have the same bag?” two of Jenny’s minions, who are also wearing the same hat, squeal in the background.

“Well, great minds shop alike. Although, in the future J we should probably coordinate,” Sawyer says. “I’ll take Tuesdays and Thursdays and alternate Wednesdays?”

Jenny claps back, replying: “How about you take yours back to the store? You know I have first dibs on designer everything.”

However, Sawyer argues that her mum bought it back for her from Paris and it had to have its own seat on the plane.

Jenny is in her mean era and savagely tells her she can only use the bag if she walks on the other side of the street.

You then find out the whole conversation was set up by Jenny’s brother Eric to try and turn Jenny’s minions against her.

If the mission works, Sawyer is told she will be the new “queen” of Constance.

Chanel Maya Banks in Gossip Girl as Sawyer Bennett

Credit: Gossip Girl

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