'Gossip Girl' Star Chanel Maya Banks Files Restraining Order In Wake Of Disappearance Drama

"Gossip Girl" actress Chanel Maya Banks, who made headlines after her family reported her missing, only for her to later clarify on social media that she was never actually missing, has now taken legal action by filing a restraining order against her mother and cousin.

The situation began when Banks' family, including her mother, Lutchmin Judy Kumar, and cousin, Danielle Singh, filed a missing person report with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). Concerned after weeks of no contact, they requested welfare checks at her Playa Vista apartment. When authorities arrived and found the apartment empty, concerns escalated further.

Consequently, she was officially listed as a missing person in California. However, Chanel Maya Banks later insisted there was never any cause for alarm.

On Thursday, Banks filed a restraining order, alleging that her mother and cousin collaborated to damage her credibility and have been harassing her.

In her restraining order filing, obtained by TMZ, the "Gossip Girl" actress claims Kumar and Singh have repeatedly attempted to contact her against her wishes, despite her explicitly asking for space back in October.

Banks states that after requesting distance, her mother and cousin escalated matters by contacting the Los Angeles police, filing a missing person report, and initiating welfare checks at her home.

According to Banks, the unwanted contact continued even after her husband, Carlos, reassured her family multiple times that she was safe and simply did not want to speak with them. Banks also alleges she has text message evidence of her mother and cousin threatening to “weaponize the police” against her.

In a particularly troubling accusation, Banks claims that on November 10, while she was away on a trip, her mother and cousin broke into her apartment. During the incident, they allegedly attacked Carlos, stole his work badge, and placed an Apple AirTag on her car to track her movements. Banks says she filed police reports regarding these incidents.

The actress further alleges that her mother and cousin intensified their harassment, accusing Carlos of murder and even suggesting Chanel should be placed under a 5150 psychiatric hold.

In her restraining order request, the "Gossip Girl" actress is asking the court to prevent her mother and cousin from contacting her—either physically or electronically—and to stop them from speaking about her publicly.

However, sources close to the family told TMZ that they firmly deny all allegations of wrongdoing, particularly the claim that Carlos was assaulted during the alleged break-in.

While Banks claims her mother and cousin left markings on Carlos’ body, family sources insist that those marks were already present before Kumar and Singh ever entered the apartment.

Additionally, the sources revealed that the family has no interest in reestablishing communication with Banks after everything she has publicly said about them.

Authorities found Banks in Texas on November 13, where she verified her identity to law enforcement. However, her family continued to express doubts about whether it was genuinely her.

In an interview with "True Crime News," Banks clarified that she was never actually missing. Instead, she explained that she had been intentionally stepping away to distance herself from what she described as "a bad situation."

"I had to take myself out of a bad situation," she said. "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."

"True Crime News" also connected with Banks via FaceTime a few months ago, during which she displayed her license as additional proof of her identity.

During the call, Banks voiced her frustration, stating, "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 a day, saying, 'Please leave me alone.' It wasn’t enough."