Selma Blair charged with assault after incident on Delta flight to New York

Selma Blair was taken into custody at John F. Kennedy International Airport after a Delta Air Lines flight from Los Angeles to New York was reported as having a physically abusive passenger. Police and FBI agents boarded the aircraft at the gate, and Blair was later transported to a hospital for evaluation. Flight attendants said one was bitten and another sustained lacerations, while a police officer was restrained with plastic cuffs.

According to a criminal complaint, Blair kicked a Port Authority officer while being strapped to a stretcher and later kicked a nurse who was assisting her in the ambulance. Prosecutors said the officer suffered facial swelling and arm pain and was taken to a local hospital. The nurse also required medical attention.

Blair entered a plea of not guilty in Queens Criminal Court and was released on $20,000 bail, with an order of protection issued for the nurse. She is scheduled to appear in court again on January 19. If convicted on the state charges, she could face two to seven years in prison.

Blair’s attorney, Shawn Barnes, told the court that the actress had worked extensive hours on set, fell and hit her head on the plane, and missed doses of medication, describing the incident as a medical emergency rather than an intentional assault. > "We do not believe, your honor, that this is an intentional assault," Barnes said.

The actress, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2018 and later with Parkinsonism, has previously spoken publicly about her health challenges. She was also involved in a 2016 incident on a flight from Cancun to Los Angeles, for which she issued an apology.

Delta Airlines issued a statement emphasizing its zero-tolerance policy for unruly behavior and said law enforcement met the plane upon arrival. The FBI has issued a summons related to the assault allegations, but the agency declined to comment on the ongoing investigation.