Actress Selma Blair has spoken out after being arrested over allegations of assault during a Delta flight to New York, insisting that a medical emergency and her neurological condition had been overlooked in the initial account of the incident.
The 54-year-old has pleaded not guilty to two counts of second-degree assault. She is accused of punching and biting flight attendants, attempting to open an aircraft door and later kicking a police officer and a hospital nurse.
Blair’s spokesman said the public narrative had been based largely on a police statement and an old headline, disputing several reports about what happened aboard the flight.
“There was no attempt to open the door of the aircraft. Selma did not intend to harm anyone,” the representative said in a statement.
The spokesman said Blair had suffered a medical emergency during the journey and described suggestions that she did not have multiple sclerosis as “outrageous”. Blair has spoken publicly about her diagnosis since 2018.
“She still has bad days, and she lives with pain daily,” the representative said, adding that Blair also lives with pseudobulbar affect, a neurological condition linked to multiple sclerosis. He said she regularly travels with a service dog.
Lawyers cite medical episode before alleged assaults
Blair’s defence lawyer, Shawn Barnes, told a New York court that she had missed several doses of medication used to manage symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis.
Barnes said the actress had been working long hours before travelling from Los Angeles and had fallen during the flight, hitting her head. He argued that these factors, combined with the altitude, had left her severely confused and disorientated.
A judge set bail at 20,000 US dollars in cash, or a 60,000-dollar bond. Blair made no comment as she left court.
Prosecutors allege that one flight attendant suffered bite marks and another sustained injuries requiring medical attention. Court documents also allege that Blair kicked a Port Authority police officer while being taken from JFK Airport and later kicked a nurse at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center.
The officer and nurse both reportedly experienced pain, while prosecutors said the officer suffered a swollen jaw. The FBI is investigating the allegations.
Delta said it had “zero tolerance for unruly or unlawful behaviour” on its aircraft.
Blair’s spokesman said she had never previously been arrested and urged the public to consider all the facts before reaching a conclusion.
“There is much more to this story than has been reported, and we ask people to consider the entirety of the facts before rushing to judgment, whether in the courtroom or in the court of public opinion,” he said.
Blair, known for roles in Cruel Intentions, Legally Blonde and Hellboy, is due back in court in January.
