Selma Blair was taken into custody at New York’s JFK Airport on Sunday after allegedly assaulting Delta Airlines flight attendants on board flight 938 from Los Angeles.
Around 11 p.m. ET last night, the New York Port Authority Police Department responded to a call regarding a physically abusive passenger identified as Blair, 54, after she had allegedly assaulted Delta staffers. As first reported by TMZ and confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter, Blair allegedly punched a flight attendant and bit another. She also reportedly attempted to open the aircraft door at some point during the flight.
Blair was taken into custody by the Port Authority Police Department and transported to the hospital for evaluation. The two Delta staffers also reported injuries, with one serious enough that they, too, were taken to the hospital for further evaluation. The matter has been taken over by the FBI, which is currently investigating the incident as the organization is responsible for investigating all assaults aboard aircraft. However, “per long-standing” Department of Justice policy, the FBI declined any additional comment. It’s unclear what charges Blair is currently facing.
A representative for Delta tells THR, “Delta has zero tolerance for unruly or unlawful behavior, as the safety of our customers and crew always comes first.” The incident did not have any operational impact on the flight as it landed ahead of schedule at JFK.
As for Blair, her publicist confirmed the incident, saying, “Selma experienced a medical emergency that led to the alleged conduct. Upon landing, she received immediate medical attention and is currently in stable condition.”
It’s not Blair’s first incident on board a flight. In June 2016, Blair, who was returning to Los Angeles from a vacation in Cancun, Mexico, began screaming uncontrollably and causing chaos on the flight. Two nurses on board helped subdue the actress, who was then taken to the hospital for evaluation. As reported at the time by THR, Blair apologized and claimed she had blacked out after mixing prescription medication and alcohol.
“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,” Blair said in a statement. “My son was with his dad asleep with his headphones on, so there is that saving grace. 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. I am a flawed human being who makes mistakes and am filled with shame over this incident. I am truly very sorry.”
Sunday’s incident comes just days after Blair delivered a revelatory speech at New York’s Jewish Museum during the Anti-Defamation League’s State of the Arts reception. She detailed the extent of her career fallout after anti-extremist comments she made on Instagram.
“The brands I worked with were gone within a day. A few partnerships I’d spent years building were shelved. My agency was gone. My lawyer was gone. My publicist was gone. My book agent was gone. My book publicist was gone. My social media manager was gone. My son’s godmother was gone – my best friend. While some friends in the business quietly stood by me, most of them were gone. And of course, my manager, my supposed friend of 30 years, and a Jew, was gone too. I still don’t know what any of them were thinking. No one returned my calls,” explained Blair from a podium about the February 2024 incident.