Actress Selma Blair charged with assault after incident on Delta flight to JFK

Actress Selma Blair was charged with two counts of second-degree assault after an incident on a Delta flight from Los Angeles to New York on Sunday. Port Authority police responded around 11 p.m. to Flight 938 parked at a gate at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Two flight attendants reported injuries. One was taken to a hospital. Blair, 54, was taken into custody and transported to a hospital for evaluation. She later appeared in Queens Criminal Court, pleaded not guilty, and was released on $20,000 bail.

Prosecutors alleged that Blair bit one flight attendant and left another with lacerations. After landing, she kicked a Port Authority officer while being secured to a stretcher and later kicked a nurse at the hospital. The criminal complaint describes these actions. An order of protection was issued for the nurse. The FBI issued a summons related to possible federal charges for conduct aboard the aircraft. Blair's attorney, Shawn Barnes, said she had been working long hours on set, fell and hit her head on the plane, and missed her medication. Her representative stated that she experienced a medical emergency that led to the alleged conduct and that she is now in stable condition.

Blair has multiple sclerosis, diagnosed in 2018, and has spoken publicly about the condition. Delta said it has zero tolerance for unruly or unlawful behavior. The Port Authority confirmed the response to a physically abusive passenger. Blair was known for roles in Cruel Intentions, Legally Blonde, and Hellboy. She spent several hours at the hospital before and after the court appearance. Judge Indira Khan set bail and declined to treat the case differently because of Blair's celebrity status.

The sequence began during the flight and continued after the plane reached the gate. Officers boarded the aircraft and used plastic restraints. Paramedics treated injuries that included a bloody nose and bite marks. Blair was evaluated for a head injury. The state charges cover the alleged assaults on the officer and the nurse. Federal authorities are examining the in-flight portion separately. No trial date has been set. Blair's team has framed the events as the result of a medical episode rather than intentional misconduct.

Airline incidents involving passengers have drawn increased attention in recent years. The combination of reported injuries to crew members, the subsequent alleged assaults on responders, and the medical explanation offered by the defense will be tested in court. Blair returned to stable condition after treatment. The case remains open in Queens Criminal Court and under FBI review. Further details on the precise nature of the medical emergency have not been released beyond the statements from her representatives and attorney.