Actress Selma Blair was arrested Sunday night after authorities say she became physically abusive toward flight attendants on a Delta Air Lines flight from Los Angeles to New York, injuring two crew members.
We have reached out to Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines for a statement and will update this article when we get one.
Actress Selma Blair Arrested After Alleged Attack on Delta Crew Members
The 54-year-old star of films including Legally Blonde, Cruel Intentions, and Hellboy was taken into custody at John F. Kennedy International Airport and transported to a hospital for evaluation.
Port Authority Police responded around 11 p.m. local time to a call about a “physically abusive passenger” aboard Delta Flight 938, which had arrived from Los Angeles International Airport and was parked at the gate. Officials identified the passenger as Blair. Two flight attendants reported injuries, and one was taken to the hospital for further evaluation. The FBI is investigating the incident, as is standard for assaults aboard aircraft.
According to multiple reports citing law enforcement sources and air traffic control audio, Blair allegedly punched one flight attendant and bit another, leaving injuries including a bloody nose and bite marks. Crew members reportedly restrained her during the flight. Some accounts also state she attempted to open an aircraft door mid-flight. Dispatch audio described minor injuries to crew and noted that the disruptive passenger appeared to have bashed her head against a bulkhead.
After landing, Blair was reportedly involved in further alleged altercations: she allegedly kicked a Port Authority police officer in the ambulance and assaulted a nurse at the hospital. She faces reported state assault charges related to those incidents and a federal violation summons connected to the onboard events, though formal charges and court proceedings remain developing. She was traveling with a service dog.
Blair’s representative attributed the events to 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 condition,” the publicist said in statements to multiple outlets.
Delta Air Lines stated it has “zero tolerance for unruly or unlawful behavior, as the safety of our customers and crew always comes first.” The airline confirmed law enforcement met the flight upon arrival at JFK, noted that the flight landed ahead of schedule with no operational impact, and deferred further comment to authorities.
Blair was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2018 after years of symptoms that had often been dismissed. She has spoken publicly about living with the condition, including periods of remission, and has advocated on disability issues. This is not her first in-flight incident. In 2016, while traveling from Mexico to Los Angeles, she had an outburst that required her to be subdued and removed from the plane on a stretcher; she later apologized, saying she had mixed alcohol with medication and blacked out.
As of Monday, Blair remained in custody in the New York area amid ongoing investigations. Authorities have not released extensive additional details, and the precise nature of the reported medical emergency has not been specified.
