Gossip Girl’s Chanel Maya Banks alleged family abused her in bid to ‘revive failed acting career’, PI claims

Gossip Girl alum Chanel Maya Banks is allegedly stirring up drama to revive a stalled acting career, according to a private investigator hired by her relatives.

Last week, Banks filed a restraining order against her mother, Lutchmin Judy Kumar, and cousin Danielle, accusing them of lying about her disappearance and conspiring to “harass and spread lies” to damage her credibility and career .

This comes just a month after her family publicly reported her missing.

Private investigator Sonny Elliott said this on Tuesday TMZ that Chanel’s family hired him out of genuine concern for her well-being.

“This is clearly a woman trying to salvage an acting career that ended during the Obama administration,” Elliott said of Banks.

Cousin Danielle also spoke to TMZ and called the situation “all for the last 15 minutes of fame.”

Elliott noted that Chanel blocked both her mother and cousin on her phone and social media, making it impossible for them to harass her, as alleged in her restraining order.

He also provided more insight into Chanel’s time in Texas, where police eventually found her after she was reported missing.

He said she initially traveled there with the intention of writing about a religious cult, but ended up getting caught up in it herself.

For her part, Chanel has stated that her trip to Texas was motivated by her desire to be baptized by her favorite preacher.

Cousin Danielle interjected, saying, “We now believe she wants publicity, perhaps in hopes of bringing more people to the ‘church’ or a high-control group known as a cult.”

In last week’s filing, Chanel alleged that both her mother and cousin “acted together to harass and spread lies” to destroy her “credibility” and career.

The actress further claimed that the couple’s missing person report was “fabricated” last month, claiming they accused her husband, Carlos, of killing her for a year.

“They orchestrated this plan to publicly humiliate me and ruin my professional acting career,” she alleged.

Banks also claimed that her mother and cousin broke into her apartment on November 10 while she was away.

She additionally claimed that the couple stole her husband’s work badge and placed an Apple AirTag on her vehicle to track her whereabouts.

The star – who tried to distance herself from her family in October – then claimed they ‘attacked’ her husband and caused ‘visible injuries to his face and neck’.

However, sources were informed TMZ that Carlos already had marks on his body before Lutchmin and Danielle entered her apartment last month.

Banks claimed she filed police reports following the alleged incidents.

Not only did she claim that they accused her husband of murder, but she also claimed that both her mother and her cousin wanted to put her in a psychiatric 5150 prison.

The Blue Bloods actress further alleged in the documents that the pair also sent text messages threatening to “arm the police” against her.

Chanel is asking the court to prevent Kumar and Singh from contacting her – and has also asked that they stop talking about her publicly.

It comes shortly after the actress’ family insisted she had been ‘brainwashed’ by a Christian cult.

When she was first discovered, Banks said she fled her family to be baptized by Doomsday Pastor Robert Clancey, who had recently advertised a three-day “end-times prophetic meeting” in Texas and claimed her family had abused her.

In turn, her loved ones bizarrely claimed she was being impersonated by an impostor online.

At a press conference in LA last month, her mother and cousin branded the abuse allegations ‘false’ and claimed the actress was being held against her will in the Christian group – before breaking down in tears.

Banks dramatically proved she wasn’t missing by sharing a YouTube video teasing an upcoming tell-all interview about her “toxic” family.

In an apparent attempt to refute the claims, Banks shared a YouTube video of herself preparing to speak about the strange saga, telling fans: “As you can see, I’m alive.”

“Interview loading,” she added, staring at the camera with a full face of makeup.

Banks also updated her Instagram bio, writing, “I AM NOT MISSING. I just want to be free from a toxic woman and her family. INTERVIEW INCOMING.’

After a two-week search for the star, who played Sawyer Bennett on Gossip Girl, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has tracked down a 36-year-old woman in Texas and claims they found the actress unharmed.

Singh previously shared her Instagram stories: “I have the Texas PD bodycam footage shown to us at the Pacific Police Station in LA on Monday, November 11.”

“This is the woman they tell us is Chanel. We told them this is not Chanel. They didn’t listen to us and closed the business.’

“That’s why @ohhheychanel won’t post a video saying she’s safe because it’s not Chanel,” Singh wrote, after flying in from Toronto to help with the search.

Singh previously said the LAPD update was “fake news” and that the woman they found claiming to be Banks is an “imposter.” She added that she will continue to distribute flyers for missing persons. ABC7 reported.

It comes after Banks issued a statement on social media making a series of strong accusations against her family.

It was not immediately clear whether Banks wrote the messages himself on the account, which has been verified and has posted a total of 70 messages over more than three and a half years. KTL.

She reportedly said on the social media site, “My name is Chanel Banks, I am a 36 year old American nobody,” and her family members “are all so very ‘concerned’ about my current whereabouts.”

Banks, who also appeared in a 2010 episode of Blue Bloods, acknowledged speaking to police during the investigation into her alleged disappearance.

“I met with the police and determined that not only am I okay, but I am finally free from my… family,” Banks said.

She alluded to her religious faith as a factor in why she had cut off contact with some of her relatives.

“They say, once you are free in Christ Jesus, you are free indeed, so six days ago I told my husband that I would be baptized by one of my favorite preachers, Reverend Robert Clancy,” Banks wrote. “He took me to the airport and then I was off for a week.”

She continued, “God said, ‘I’m going to give you some money and I was shocked when it looked exactly like He said!’

Banks said God told her to move, so she took a first-class flight “to the Promised Land.”

The actress also said she was “raising a loud shout out to people in high places who still have a soul and want to keep it at a time like this.” Reach out. Help me.’

Banks said she found out “hours before she left” that some of her family members were “vigorously pursuing a conservatorship.” [i.e.] full legal control.’

She added that “there will be no more lies” and that “everything that is in darkness must be brought to light… thus says the Lord.”

Banks ended her statement by saying, “PLEASE DON’T DONATE TO ANY GO FUND ME THAT SAYS I’M MISSING, I’M NOT MISSING.”

Relatives of the actress had previously reported her missing, claiming that her husband Carlos Jimenez had not helped them in their search.

Police subsequently said that Banks, a resident of Playa Vista, California, was found unharmed in Texas and that there was no foul play in the now-closed case.

Banks’ family claims they last heard from her on October 30 when she texted her cousin Danielle-Tori Singh, who led the fundraising campaign for her urgent return.

However, Chanel appears to have moved on and a day before filing the restraining order, she hopped to her Instagram account to celebrate the holidays on Wednesday.

In a short clip, both she and her husband Carlos were seen sitting festively dressed in front of a decorated Christmas tree.

While staring at the camera, Banks said, “We just wanted to say Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!” Because it’s the same day this year.’

“And we love you and we hope you have a wonderful, wonderful holiday shared with those you love,” she said, with her husband adding, “It’s the best feeling in the world.”

The video ended with them both sharing a kiss and saying “I love you” to each other as Kenny G’s tune Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas played softly in the background.