Selma Blair was arrested Sunday night following an altercation aboard a Delta Air Lines flight from Los Angeles to New York, where she reportedly attempted to open the aircraft door in mid-flight and assaulted two flight attendants.
Port Authority Police Department responded to a call of “a physically abusive passenger aboard Delta Airlines flight 938” at about 11 p.m., when the plane was at its gate at John F. Kennedy International Airport, the agency told KTLA. Blair, 54, was identified by police, arrested, and taken to the hospital for an evaluation.
Injuries were inflicted on two flight attendants, one of whom required additional treatment at the hospital, according to police. The FBI is conducting the investigation.
According to TMZ, citing unnamed sources, Blair tried to open a door while the aircraft was flying, and then struck one flight attendant and bit another. One crew member sustained a cut, and the other a bite. Blair was restrained on the plane before being arrested, TMZ reported.
A representative for Blair said she “experienced a medical emergency that led to the alleged conduct.” The representative added that Blair received medical attention immediately after the plane landed and is in stable condition.
TMZ further reported that Blair was accused of assaulting a nurse when she arrived at the hospital, and that she was charged with two counts of assault relating to the allegations of assaults on a police officer and the nurse. It was unclear if any charges would be filed for the conduct on the plane.
Delta said the incident took place on Flight 938 on Oct. 11, and law enforcement met the aircraft after it landed at JFK. “This flight landed early and experienced no operational impact. We have zero tolerance for unruly or unlawful behavior,” the airline said in a statement to Newsweek.
According to the FBI, which investigates assaults on aircraft, the Port Authority police alerted it to a potential assault on a flight arriving at JFK. The FBI declined further comment, citing departmental guidelines on ongoing investigations.
It is not the first time Blair has been involved in an incident on a flight. In June 2016, she was carried off a Delta flight from Cancun to Los Angeles on a stretcher and taken to the hospital due to an on-board outburst. Later, she apologized for her conduct, saying that she had mixed alcohol with medication, passed out, and regretted her behavior.
Blair, known for her performances in “Cruel Intentions,” “Legally Blonde,” and the “Hellboy” movies, revealed in 2018 that she had multiple sclerosis. Since then, she has been advocating for people with disabilities, and her story was featured in the 2021 documentary “Introducing, Selma Blair.” She says her disease is in remission.
Less than three weeks before her arrest, Blair was attending Variety’s Power of Women event in Beverly Hills, California.
