Actress Selma Blair was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Sunday night following an in-flight altercation on a Delta Air Lines flight from Los Angeles. Authorities and airline officials report that two flight attendants sustained injuries during the incident, leading to state and federal assault allegations.
Delta Flight 938 Incident and Airport Arrest
The commercial flight had arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport ahead of schedule from Los Angeles International Airport and was parked at the gate when officers boarded.
Law enforcement and news reports state that Blair allegedly punched one flight attendant, bit another, and attempted to open an aircraft door mid-air. Air traffic control audio captured the pilot requesting medical personnel for the gate, citing a bloody nose as well as some bite marks on the crew. Crew members reportedly restrained Blair during the flight before authorities took her into custody upon landing.
Queens Criminal Court Arraignment and Bail
Following her arrival at JFK, Blair was transported to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center for evaluation. Prosecutors state that while in the ambulance en route to the hospital, Blair repeatedly kicked Port Authority Police Officer in the face, neck, and chest. Once inside the medical facility, she allegedly kicked registered nurse in the chest.
Judge Indira Khan set bail at $20,000 cash, $60,000 bond, or a $60,000 partially secured bond.
Legal Defense and Medical Context
Defense attorneys Shawn Barnes and Joshua Reitzas told the court that their client experienced a severe medical episode on the aircraft. Barnes stated that Blair missed multiple doses of a powerful medication used to manage her neurological symptoms. Defense counsel argued that these combined factors resulted in a state of severe confusion and disorientation.
Blair has previously discussed health challenges in her public life. In her 2022 memoir, Mean Baby, she wrote about biting celebrities including Sienna Miller, Seth MacFarlane, and Kate Moss when her system becomes overwhelmed. The actress also experienced a widely publicized incident on a Delta flight in 2016, when she was removed from an airplane on a stretcher following an episode returning from Cancun with her son Arthur and his father, fashion designer Jason Bleick. She later stated that she had mixed alcohol with medication and issued a public apology for her behavior at that time.
Her extensive film career includes breakout work in 1999’s Cruel Intentions, followed by major roles in 2001’s Legally Blonde, 2002’s The Sweetest Thing, and the Hellboy film franchise. She also appeared as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars in 2022. Prior to the incident, she was spotted attending events in New York and Los Angeles, including an appearance at State of the Arts: An Evening at The Jewish Museum and Variety’s Power of Women event in Beverly Hills alongside her English Red Fox Labrador service dog named Scout, whom she acquired in 2021 to assist with her multiple sclerosis symptoms.
Selma experienced a medical emergency that led to the alleged conduct.
Representative for Selma Blair, via BBC News
Blair, 54, has been open about her diagnosis with multiple sclerosis in 2018 and has frequently advocated for disability rights. In addition to the state charges in New York, federal law enforcement officials confirmed that the FBI issued Blair a federal summons charging her with assault within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States. No appearance date has been scheduled yet for the federal case, while her next state court hearing is set for January 19, 2027.
