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Two flight attendants allegedly injured during disturbance aboard Los Angeles-New York flight.
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Actress faces separate state charges over alleged attacks on police officer, nurse.
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FBI issues summons over onboard incident as Blair pleads not guilty to assault charges.
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Representatives blame alleged conduct on medical emergency as 2016 flight episode resurfaces.
October 13, (THEWILL) – Hollywood actress Selma Blair has been arrested after an alleged violent confrontation aboard a Delta Air Lines flight from Los Angeles to New York spilled beyond the aircraft, leaving two cabin crew members injured and triggering accusations that she subsequently attacked a police officer and a nurse.
The 54-year-old Cruel Intentions and Legally Blonde star was taken into custody after Delta Flight 938 landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport late Sunday, turning what authorities described as an incident involving a “physically abusive passenger” into separate state and federal cases.
Blair, who was taken to hospital following the disturbance, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of second-degree assault arising from the alleged attacks on the police officer and nurse.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has separately issued her a summons over the alleged assaults aboard the aircraft.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said its officers were called to the aircraft after it arrived at JFK following reports of a disruptive passenger.
Two flight attendants reported injuries from the encounter. One was taken to hospital for treatment, while Blair was also transported for medical evaluation.
US media, citing law enforcement sources, reported that Blair allegedly punched one flight attendant and bit another during the confrontation.
The precise circumstances leading to the disturbance have not been fully disclosed by investigators.
Alleged Violence Continues After Landing
What began aboard the aircraft allegedly continued after Blair was removed from the plane.
According to court documents cited by US media, a Port Authority police officer was helping secure Blair to a stretcher for transportation to hospital when the actress allegedly freed one of her legs and repeatedly kicked the officer in the face, neck and chest.
The officer was said to have suffered pain and swelling from the encounter.
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Blair was subsequently transported to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, but prosecutors alleged that another confrontation occurred while medical personnel were attending to her.
A nurse assisting in Blair’s treatment was allegedly kicked in the chest, resulting in what prosecutors described as substantial pain.
She was arraigned in Queens on Monday and pleaded not guilty to a two second-degree assault charges.
Bail was set at $20,000 cash, with a $60,000 bond alternative, while her next court appearance was scheduled for January 19, 2027.
FBI Moves Over Alleged Attacks In The Air
The alleged violence aboard the aircraft has meanwhile opened a separate federal front for the Hollywood star.
The FBI issued Blair a violation notice or summons accusing her of assault within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States.
Expected to be handled through the petty violations court at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, the FBI confirmed that it had been notified of a potential assault aboard the flight but declined to discuss details of the continuing investigation.
Delta Air Lines also condemned unruly behaviour following the incident, stressing that passenger and crew safety remained its priority.
“Delta has zero tolerance for unruly or unlawful behavior, as the safety of our customers and crew always comes first,” the airline said.
Blair’s Camp Cites Medical Emergency
Blair’s representatives have pushed back against any suggestion that the episode was a deliberate outbreak of violence, saying the actress suffered a medical emergency.
“Selma experienced a medical emergency that led to the alleged conduct. Upon landing, she received immediate medical attention and is currently in stable cconditin,” her representative said.
Blair’s lawyer also maintained during her arraignment that the alleged actions were not intentional.
According to accounts of the court proceedings, the defence said Blair had missed doses of medication used to manage neurological symptoms and had struck her head during the flight.
Her lawyer argued that a combination of the missed medication, head injury, workload and altitude caused severe confusion and disorientation.
Not Blair’s First Troubling Flight
The latest episode is particularly significant because it comes a decade after Blair was involved in another highly publicised disturbance aboard an aircraft.
In June 2016, she was removed from a plane on a stretcher following an outburst on a flight from Cancún, Mexico, to Los Angeles.
Blair subsequently apologised publicly and said she had mixed alcohol with medication and suffered a blackout.
“I made a big mistake yesterday,” she said in an apology issued after the incident, adding that she deeply regretted what happened.
She later spoke more extensively about the episode, saying she had taken medication with alcohol and had little recollection of her behaviour.
The actress also addressed her struggles with alcohol in her 2022 memoir, Mean Baby: A Memoir of Growing Up, in which she recounted episodes of biting people, including British supermodel Kate Moss.
From Hollywood Stardom To Court Battle
Blair rose to international prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s, becoming widely recognised for her performance as Cecile Caldwell in the 1999 film Cruel Intentions.
She subsequently appeared alongside Reese Witherspoon in the 2001 comedy Legally Blonde and starred in The Sweetest Thing before playing Liz Sherman in Hellboy and Hellboy II: The Golden Army.
In 2018, Blair publicly disclosed that she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a chronic neurological disease affecting the central nervous system. She has since spoken extensively about living with the condition and become one of Hollywood’s prominent advocates for people with disabilities.
Her representatives have described Sunday’s episode only as a medical emergency and have not publicly established that her multiple sclerosis caused the alleged conduct.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
