US actress Selma Blair accused of assault after incident with flight attendants
US actress Selma Blair has been issued a summons on an assault charge following allegations that she attacked flight attendants aboard a plane, authorities have said.
The Legally Blonde star came under FBI investigation after an alleged altercation on a Delta Air Lines flight travelling from Los Angeles to New York.
Airport officials said they responded on Sunday to reports of a “physically abusive passenger” on board the flight. According to the New York Port Authority, two flight attendants sustained injuries, with one taken to hospital for treatment.
Blair, 54, who is also known for her roles in Hellboy and Cruel Intentions, was arrested and transported to hospital following the incident. However, her publicist told the BBC that the actress had experienced a medical emergency that allegedly led to her behaviour.
“Upon landing, she received immediate medical attention and is currently in stable condition,” the publicist said.
A federal law enforcement source told the BBC on Monday that Blair had been issued a summons over an assault charge within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States.
She is expected to appear before a petty violation court in Brooklyn, New York City, although a date for the hearing has not yet been announced.
The incident reportedly occurred at about 11 p.m. local time aboard Delta Air Lines Flight 938.
According to CBS News, the BBC’s US media partner, the flight crew allegedly restrained Blair during the journey. Air traffic control recordings obtained by CBS captured the pilot requesting medical assistance for a passenger, citing a bloody nose and what appeared to be bite marks.
A Delta Air Lines spokesperson confirmed that law enforcement officers responded when the aircraft arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. The airline said the incident did not disrupt flight operations.
“Delta has zero tolerance for unruly or unlawful behavior, as the safety of our customers and crew always comes first,” the airline said in a statement to the BBC.
Blair stepped back from much of her acting career following her 2018 diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS). In a subsequent interview with the BBC, she said the disease had significantly affected her career, forcing her to stop working.
In 2021, she announced that her MS was in remission.
The actress was also involved in a separate incident aboard a flight in 2016, when an alcohol-related outburst reportedly prompted two nurses to restrain her.
Blair later issued a public apology, explaining that she had mistakenly combined her medication with alcohol, resulting in her blacking out and behaving in ways she regretted.
“I am a flawed human being who makes mistakes and am filled with shame over this incident. I am truly very sorry,” she said at the time.
US media reports indicated that she had screamed uncontrollably during the 2016 incident, prompting the nurses to support her with a pillow and administer oxygen to calm her. She was subsequently removed from the aircraft on a stretcher when it landed in Los Angeles after a flight from Mexico and taken to hospital.
Source: BBC
About The Author
