Hollywood actress Selma Blair has been arrested after allegedly punching a flight attendant and biting another crew member during a flight to New York, with her representatives blaming a medical emergency for the incident.
The Cruel Intentions star, 54, was travelling aboard a Delta Airlines flight from Los Angeles to John F. Kennedy International Airport on Sunday when the alleged altercation unfolded.
According to TMZ, police were waiting when the aircraft landed, with two flight attendants reporting injuries and one requiring hospital treatment.
Blair was arrested and subsequently taken to hospital for medical assessment, while the FBI has launched an investigation.
A representative for the actress addressed the incident on Monday, confirming she had experienced a health emergency.
“Selma experienced a medical emergency that led to the alleged conduct. Upon landing, she received immediate medical attention and is currently in stable condition,” the representative told People.
The nature of the medical emergency has not been disclosed.
Disturbing details emerge
Emergency dispatch recordings obtained by People have shed further light on the alleged confrontation, with responders requesting medical assistance for those involved.
“From the info I’ve got, sounds like there were two - yeah, one flight attendant and one passenger that sustained some minor injuries, a bloody nose as well as some bite marks as well,” one responder said.
“So I don’t think when need an ambulance or anything like that, but we (could get) some medical personnel at the gate to look at their injuries.”
Another dispatcher suggested Blair may also have injured herself during the disturbance.
“And then one additional add on, it sounds like the disruptive passenger also bashed her head on the bulkhead or something like that.”
Delta confirmed authorities attended the aircraft after landing, although the flight arrived ahead of schedule.
“Delta has zero tolerance for unruly or unlawful behavior, as the safety of our customers and crew always comes first,” an airline spokesperson said.
The FBI also confirmed it was investigating the alleged assault.
“The FBI is responsible for investigating all assaults aboard aircraft,” a spokesperson said.
“Yesterday, we were informed by our partners at Port Authority Police Department of a potential assault aboard a flight that arrived into JFK. As per long-standing DOJ policy, we do not comment on ongoing investigations.”
Actress involved in previous flight incident
The latest allegations come a decade after Blair was removed from an international flight following a disturbance in 2016.
At the time, she was returning to Los Angeles from Cancun with her son Arthur and his father, Jason Bleick.
Blair subsequently apologised, attributing her behaviour to mixing alcohol with medication.
“I made a big mistake yesterday. After a lovely trip with my son and his Dad, I mixed alcohol with medication, and that caused me to black out and led me to say and do things that I deeply regret,” she told Vanity Fair.
“I take this very seriously, and I apologize to all of the passengers and crew that I disturbed and am thankful to all of the people who helped me in the aftermath,” she added.
Blair publicly revealed her multiple sclerosis diagnosis in 2018 and announced the condition was in remission in 2021.
The actress was scheduled to attend 90s Con in Connecticut later this week.
No charges have been confirmed in connection with Sunday’s incident, and the FBI investigation remains ongoing.