American actress, Selma Blair, has been accused of assault following an alleged altercation involving flight attendants aboard a Delta Air Lines flight from Los Angeles to New York, with two attendants reportedly injured in the incident, according to US authorities.
The 54-year-old actress, known for her roles in Legally Blonde, Hellboy and Cruel Intentions, was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation after the incident, which occurred at about 11pm local time on Sunday.
The New York Port Authority said airport officials responded to reports of “a physically abusive passenger” aboard the aircraft.
One of the injured flight attendants was taken to hospital, while Blair was arrested and also received medical attention.
Her publicist told the BBC that the actress had “experienced a medical emergency that led to the alleged conduct”.
“Upon landing, she received immediate medical attention and is currently in stable condition,” the publicist said.
According to CBS News, the actress was transported to hospital in an ambulance, where she allegedly kicked a police officer.
Prosecutors also accused her of assaulting a nurse after arriving at the hospital.
Blair was subsequently discharged and taken to Queens Central Booking.
She pleaded not guilty to two counts of second-degree assault relating to the alleged incidents involving the police officer and the nurse.
CBS News reported that a judge set her bail at $20,000 in cash or $60,000 in bond, while her next court hearing was scheduled for January 19.
Separately, a federal law enforcement source told the BBC on Monday that Blair had been issued a summons over an alleged assault aboard the aircraft.
The charge relates to an incident within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States.
The federal case is separate from the state-level allegations concerning the ambulance and hospital incidents.
No date had been announced for the federal proceedings.
Air traffic control audio obtained by CBS News reportedly captured the pilot requesting medical personnel after the flight landed at John F Kennedy International Airport in New York.
The pilot referred to a “bloody nose as well as some bite marks”.
The actress was allegedly restrained by the flight crew during the incident, according to CBS News.
A Delta Air Lines spokesperson confirmed that law enforcement officers responded when the flight arrived at the airport, adding that the incident did not affect 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 largely stepped away from film work after revealing in 2018 that she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a neurological condition.
She later spoke about how the illness affected her career, saying she had to stop working.
In 2021, the actress announced that her condition was in remission.
Before Sunday’s incident, she had posted on Instagram about travelling extensively with her service dog, Scout, an English Red Fox Labrador she acquired in 2021 to help with her neurological condition.
“From LA to New Mexico to La to nyc to LA Scout and I have been busy. I miss you,” she wrote alongside a video that included footage of a city viewed from an aircraft.
The latest incident comes a decade after Blair was involved in another disturbance aboard a flight in 2016.
At the time, she was reportedly subdued by two nurses following a drunken outburst during a journey from Mexico to Los Angeles.
She later apologised publicly, explaining that she had accidentally mixed medication with alcohol, causing her to black out.
“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.
In her 2022 memoir, Mean Baby, Blair also wrote about biting celebrities Sienna Miller, Seth MacFarlane and Kate Moss.
She explained that the behaviour occurred when “my system gets overwhelmed and instantaneously short-circuits”.
