Selma Blair faces assault allegations after Delta flight incident

US actress Selma Blair is facing assault allegations following an incident aboard a Delta Air Lines flight from Los Angeles to New York, which reportedly left two flight attendants injured.

The Legally Blonde and Cruel Intentions star was issued a summons over an alleged assault on the aircraft, according to the BBC. The incident is also being investigated by the FBI.

Authorities responded to reports of a physically abusive passenger when the flight arrived at John F Kennedy International Airport on Sunday night.

The New York Port Authority confirmed that two flight attendants were injured, with one taken to hospital. Delta said law enforcement officers attended to the incident after the plane landed.

Blair faces additional assault allegations

The incident reportedly extended beyond the aircraft.

According to CBS News, the actress was transported to hospital by ambulance, where she allegedly kicked a police officer. Prosecutors have also accused her of assaulting a nurse at the hospital.

Blair was subsequently released from hospital and taken to Queens Central Booking.

She has pleaded not guilty to two counts of second-degree assault relating to the alleged incidents in the ambulance and hospital. A judge set bail at $20 000 in cash or a $60 000 bond, CBS News reported.

Separately, a federal summons was issued over the alleged assault aboard the aircraft. No date had been set for that federal case at the time of the BBC’s report.

The incident reportedly occurred at around 11pm local time on Delta Air Lines Flight 938. Audio obtained by CBS News included the pilot requesting medical assistance, citing a bloody nose and bite marks.

Delta said the incident did not affect the flight’s operations and reiterated its position on passenger conduct.

‘Delta has zero tolerance for unruly or unlawful behavior, as the safety of our customers and crew always comes first,‘ the airline said in a statement to the BBC.

Publicist cites a medical emergency

Blair’s publicist told the BBC that the actress had experienced a medical emergency that led to the alleged behaviour.

The representative said she received immediate medical attention after the plane landed and was in a stable condition.

Blair was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2018, a condition that affected her ability to continue working in film. She announced in 2021 that her disease was in remission.

Before Sunday’s incident, Blair had shared an Instagram post about travelling extensively with her service dog, Scout, an English Red Fox Labrador she acquired in 2021 to assist with her neurological condition.

Her medical history provides context to the statement from her publicist, although the circumstances surrounding the latest incident remain subject to the legal process.

Previous in-flight incident resurfaced

The latest allegations have also drawn attention to a previous incident involving Blair during a flight in 2016.

At the time, the actress apologised after an outburst on a flight from Mexico to Los Angeles resulted in two nurses restraining her. She said she had accidentally mixed medication with alcohol, causing her to black out and behave in ways she regretted.

In her apology, Blair acknowledged her actions and expressed shame over the incident.

She later wrote about becoming overwhelmed and reacting physically in her 2022 memoir, Mean Baby, in which she discussed biting several celebrities.

However, the circumstances of the 2016 incident do not establish what happened during Sunday’s flight.

For now, the latest case centres on allegations that Blair has denied in relation to the two state assault charges. The separate federal proceedings concerning the incident aboard the Delta flight remain distinct from those charges.

As the legal process continues, the allegations, the account provided by her publicist and the confirmed injuries reported by authorities remain key parts of the developing story.

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Source: BBC