Actor Selma Blair has pleaded not guilty to two counts of second-degree assault following an alleged incident on a Delta Airlines flight from Los Angeles to New York on Sunday, October 11.
The 54-year-old, known for roles in Cruel Intentions, Legally Blonde, and The Sweetest Thing, was taken into custody at JFK Airport after the alleged outburst.
Allegations and arrest
Blair is said to have attempted to open a Delta Airlines flight door while the plane was airborne. She is reported to have punched one flight attendant and bit another, with one taken to hospital.
Airport officials responded to a call about a “physically abusive passenger”, who was escorted off the plane and taken into custody.
In an audio recording from the flight, staff can be heard asking for medical assistance, citing a “bloody nose as well as some bite marks”.
Further incidents and legal proceedings
During the ambulance ride to hospital, Blair allegedly kicked a police officer who was securing her to a stretcher. Once at hospital, prosecutors have alleged that she also assaulted a nurse.
Blair has since been released from hospital and taken to Queens Central Booking, where she pleaded not guilty to two counts of second-degree assault in relation to the two incidents.
A judge set her bail at $20,000 cash or $60,000 bond, with the next hearing scheduled for 19 January. The FBI is currently investigating.
Representatives' statements
In a statement, her publicist said: “Selma experienced a medical emergency that led to the alleged conduct. Upon landing, she received immediate medical attention and is currently in stable condition.”
Shawn Barnes, one of her lawyers, said the incident stemmed from a medical emergency linked to her multiple sclerosis and Parkinsonism. He also claimed she had a heavy workload and had missed several doses of her medication before the flight.
“We do not believe that this is an intentional assault,” Barnes said at a court in Queens.
Airline response and background
A Delta spokesperson said the airline “has zero tolerance for unruly or unlawful behaviour, as the safety of our customers and crew always comes first”.
Blair revealed in 2018 that she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. In 2016, she faced a similar incident and was escorted off a plane for being intoxicated.
“I had too much to drink in Mexico. I was so messed up and dehydrated and hungover and didn’t know I had neurological issues. I didn’t understand anything. It was horrifying and humiliating. I had to grow up,” she said of the incident.
Apologising for that incident, she said: “I am a flawed human being who makes mistakes and am filled with shame over this incident. I am truly very sorry.”
In her 2022 memoir Mean Baby, Blair wrote that she has bitten Sienna Miller, Seth MacFarlane, and Kate Moss, saying she bites people when “my system gets overwhelmed and instantaneously short-circuits”.
