Blue Bloods actress Chanel Banks has been all over the news ever since her family reported her missing. The actress was later located by the police, after which she surprisingly claimed she was never missing and only stepped out to escape a bad situation.
Chanel Banks starred as Officer Maria Romano in Blue Bloods, appearing in the pilot episode of the CBS show. She has also been seen in the CW teen drama Gossip Girl and the 2010 crime thriller film Twelve.
Her family had earlier stated that she had been missing since the end of October 2024, and they were not able to contact her. After her cousin started a GoFundMe campaign to find her, Channel Banks stepped forward, revealing that she was not even close to her family.
Chanel Banks played Officer Maria Romano in Blue Bloods
Chanel Banks guest-starred in Blue Bloods as Officer Maria Romano. Her only appearance was in season 1, episode 1, Pilot. Maria was a new recruit at the New York City Police Department, where she became a friend of Jamie Reagan, played by Will Estes.
She was introduced as the ‘first woman recruit to win the sharpshooter medal.’ Apart from her shooting skills, Maria was also known for her beauty, and her friendship with Jamie led to Jamie’s girlfriend Sydney Davenport getting a little jealous of her.
Maria debuts in Blue Bloods as she greets Jamie and Frank Regan at the NYPD office, where Frank appreciates her for winning the sharpshooter medal. Sydney also congratulates her, but there seems to be some friction between the two.
Frank later asks Jamie if he has feelings for Maria, but the young officer says they are just good friends. Chanel Banks does not appear in Blue Bloods after that. Though her character made a brief appearance in the show, it was significant in establishing the characters.
Maria’s plot in the pilot episode introduced the audience to the relationship dynamics between Jamie and Sydney, and also the father-son bond between Frank and Jamie. However, the creators did not explore Maria’s character any further in the series.
Chanel Banks has been found after being reported missing
The news of Chanel Banks’s disappearance came to light when her cousin Danielle-Tori Singh started a GoFundMe campaign to locate her. She cited that Banks’ family was unable to contact her since October 31, 2024.
Her family officially filed a missing person report with the Los Angeles Police Department, and the authorities performed wellness checks at her home in LA, where she was nowhere to be found.
Singh stated that she flew from Toronto to LA to check up on Banks and also called out her husband for not supporting her in the search. While Banks’ family and friends were worried about her whereabouts, she was located by the authorities in a safe and sound condition in Texas on November 13, 2024.
The Blue Bloods star revealed that she never went missing and was only getting out of a bad situation. She told True Crime News:
“I had to take myself out of a bad situation. 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.”
Banks added that she was manipulated and tormented by her family, especially her mother, who gets overtly involved in her life. She revealed she tried to escape earlier as well, but her family never left her alone.
“I mean, the day I left was exactly seven days ago today. I haven't been gone for three weeks. I haven't been missing for three weeks. I'm an adult woman. I don't have to call my mother every day.”
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Banks further said that she is not even close to her cousin Singh as the latter claims, and they do not have a sister-sister bond. The GoFundMe campaign has now been taken down, and the family has said they will refund all the donations.
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