Incident and charges
Selma Blair, the American actress known for her role in Legally Blonde, has been charged with assault after allegedly attacking several flight attendants on a plane. The 54-year-old star is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation over the incident, which occurred on a Delta Air Lines flight from Los Angeles to New York on Sunday. Officials at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport said they responded to a call about a physically aggressive passenger on the aircraft. Two flight attendants were injured, and one was taken to a hospital, according to the Port Authority of New York.[S1][S2][S3]
Blair, who also starred in Hellboy and Cruel Intentions, was detained and taken to a hospital for medical attention. Her publicist told the BBC that she experienced a medical emergency that would have led to the alleged behavior. Upon landing, she received immediate medical care and is currently stable, her agent added. A federal police source confirmed to the BBC that a summons had been issued against Blair for one count of assault within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the US. The source said she must appear in the petty offenses court in Brooklyn, New York, but no date has been set yet.[S1]
According to CBS News, a BBC partner in the US, crew members allegedly restrained the actress during the flight. In an air traffic control audio obtained by CBS, the pilot can be heard requesting medical personnel on the plane, citing a bloody nose and some bite marks. A Delta Air Lines spokesperson said the incident did not alter the flight's operation and that police responded upon landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. Delta does not tolerate disorderly or illegal behavior, as the safety of our customers and our crew is always the most important, Delta Air Lines told the BBC in a statement.[S1]
Health and prior incident
Blair largely retired from acting after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2018. In an interview with the BBC years later, she blamed the disease for having ended her career. It was the reason she had to stop working, she explained. However, in 2021 she announced that her disease was in remission. In 2016, she was involved in another incident during a flight, after two nurses had to restrain her while she was under the influence of alcohol. Blair issued a public apology after that event. She explained that she accidentally mixed her medication with alcohol, making a big mistake that caused her to lose consciousness and say and do things she deeply regretted. I am a flawed human being who makes mistakes and I am very ashamed of this incident. I am truly very sorry, she said at the time.[S1]
