A high-profile incident involving American actress Selma Blair, best known for her roles in *Legally Blonde* and *Hellboy*, has thrown the spotlight on an in-flight altercation that left two Delta Air Lines crew members injured, prompting federal assault charges against the 54-year-old star.
The disturbance unfolded shortly before 11 p.m. local time on Sunday aboard Delta Flight 938, a scheduled service traveling from Los Angeles International Airport to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. Reports from on-board sources and air traffic control audio obtained by CBS News, the BBC’s U.S. media partner, confirm that the situation escalated to the point where flight crew were forced to physically restrain Blair. When the plane touched down at JFK, the pilot requested immediate medical personnel meet the aircraft, noting that one crew member had a bloody nose and another had sustained bite marks from the confrontation.
The New York Port Authority, which oversees operations at JFK, confirmed in an official statement that officers responded to an emergency call about a “physically abusive passenger.” Two attending flight attendants suffered injuries in the incident, and one was transported to a local hospital for treatment following the plane’s landing. Blair herself was also taken into custody and transported to a medical facility for evaluation after the altercation.
In a statement provided to the BBC, Blair’s publicist emphasized that the disruptive behavior stemmed from an unexpected health crisis. “She experienced a medical emergency that led to the alleged conduct,” the statement read, adding that “upon landing, she received immediate medical attention and is currently in stable condition.”
Days after the event, federal law enforcement sources confirmed to the BBC that Blair has been issued a court summons on a charge of assault within U.S. federal special maritime and territorial jurisdiction. She is required to appear at Brooklyn’s petty violation court, though no hearing date has been finalized as of yet.
Delta Air Lines issued a formal statement following the incident reaffirming the carrier’s strict policies around passenger conduct. “Delta has zero tolerance for unrockly or unlawful behavior, as the safety of our customers and crew always comes first,” the company said, adding that the incident did not cause any operational delays or disruptions to the airline’s schedule at JFK.
This incident is not the first time Blair has had a disruptive episode on a commercial flight. In 2016, she was removed from a flight from Mexico to Los Angeles on a stretcher after an alcohol-fueled outburst that required two traveling nurses to subdue her. Blair later apologized publicly, explaining that she had accidentally mixed prescription medication with alcohol, leading to a blackout and behavior she said she deeply regretted.
Blair stepped back from most acting work after revealing a multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis in 2018, later telling media outlets that the progressive neurological condition forced her to pause her career, saying it had “taken my career down.” In 2021, she announced that her MS was in remission, and she has spoken openly about how her service dog, Scout, an English Red Fox Labrador, helps manage symptoms of her neurological condition. Just days before Sunday’s incident, Blair posted an Instagram update documenting a series of cross-country trips with Scout, writing, “From LA to New Mexico to La to nyc to LA Scout and I have been busy. I miss you.”
In her 2022 memoir *Mean Baby*, Blair also opened up about a pattern of impulsive biting when overwhelmed by her health condition, writing that she bites other people when “my system gets overwhelmed and instantaneously short-circuits,” noting past incidents involving celebrities Sienna Miller, Seth MacFarlane, and Kate Moss.