Actress Selma Blair Issued Summons After Alleged Assaults on Flight Attendants

Actress Selma Blair was taken into custody at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport on Monday after a flight from Los Angeles. Federal authorities issued a summons accusing her of assaults on two flight attendants. The allegations include biting and punching the attendants and attempting to open the plane's door during the flight.

Police met the aircraft on arrival. Blair was removed from the plane and held briefly. The FBI issued the summons. No further details on the exact sequence inside the cabin have been released by officials. The flight was a commercial Delta service. Crew members reported the incidents to the captain, who requested law enforcement on landing.

Blair's representatives issued a statement after the arrest. They described the events as related to a medical episode and said she was receiving care. They asked for privacy. Blair has spoken publicly in the past about living with multiple sclerosis. No medical records have been released in connection with the flight.

The summons charges her with the assaults. It does not require an immediate court appearance in the same manner as an arrest warrant. Federal aviation regulations prohibit interference with crew members and attempts to open doors in flight. Violations can carry civil and criminal penalties. The exact charges listed on the summons have not been published in full.

Witnesses on the flight described a disturbance in the cabin. Flight attendants intervened. The attempt to open the door was stopped by crew and other passengers. The aircraft landed normally. No injuries to passengers were reported beyond the two attendants.

Blair is known for film roles including Cruel Intentions and Legally Blonde and for her work as a disability advocate after her MS diagnosis. She has appeared at events and on social media discussing the condition. The flight incident is the first public legal matter of this type involving her.

Delta Air Lines has not released a statement. Airport police transferred Blair to federal custody for processing. She was released after the summons was issued. The case will proceed through the federal court system in the Eastern District of New York.

Aviation security protocols require crew to report any attempt to open a door or assault on staff. Those reports trigger the response that occurred at JFK. The combination of the physical allegations and the door attempt places the matter under both assault and aviation statutes.

As of Monday evening, no court date had been publicly listed. Blair's representatives continue to frame the events in medical terms. The summons establishes the formal accusation. The outcome will depend on how prosecutors evaluate the crew statements, any cabin video and the medical information that may be presented.

The verified elements are the custody at JFK, the issuance of the summons for the assaults, and the representatives' response. Those facts come from law enforcement sources and the public statement. Further details on the cabin events remain limited to the initial reports.