US actress Selma Blair has responded to accusations that she assaulted several people aboard a flight to New York. Her publicist said the Legally Blonde star “did not intend to harm anyone” and that there is far more to the matter than has appeared in coverage so far.
The publicist said Blair, 54, had experienced a medical emergency on the flight. The statement also said she continues to live with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Publicist disputes the public account of the flight
Blair’s team argued that the public version of events rests largely on a police statement and an old headline. It also denied media reports that she had tried to open the aircraft’s door.
Blair has pleaded not guilty to charges that she assaulted an officer and a nurse after being removed from the plane. She is also accused of assaulting two flight attendants on board.
The incident took place on a Sunday evening, on a Delta Airlines flight travelling from Los Angeles to New York. New York Port Authority said two flight attendants were hurt, and one was taken to hospital. A pilot asked for medical help, describing “a bloody nose” and “some bite marks”, according to audio recorded on air traffic control that was obtained by CBS News.
Charges filed in federal and state court
Blair was arrested and taken to hospital. The FBI issued her a federal summons for an assault charge within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, linked to the altercation on board.
Two further assault charges were filed in state court after she was taken off the plane. She has pleaded not guilty to those charges and has been released on bail.
Statement points to Blair’s health conditions
The statement noted that Blair revealed her MS publicly in 2018. She announced in 2021 that she was in remission, but her team said the Hellboy and Cruel Intentions star still has difficult days.
It also said she has pseudobulbar affect (PBA), a disorder that develops after a brain injury or an underlying neurological problem, according to the US National Institutes of Health. The condition can cause sudden, involuntary episodes of laughing, crying or anger that do not reflect how a person actually feels.
The publicist described Blair’s physical progress since her MS diagnosis as “nothing short of a miracle”, while adding that she still deals with pain every day. “Selma had never been arrested before Sunday night,” the publicist said. She urged people to consider the full facts “before rushing to judgement, whether in the courtroom or in the court of public opinion.”
