Selma Blair Faces Assault Charges After Airline Incident

Actress Selma Blair faces two second-degree assault charges after officials said she allegedly injured people during and after a Delta flight from Los Angeles to New York, including a nurse at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center and a Port Authority police officer at John F. Kennedy International Airport. According to a criminal court affidavit filed in Queens Criminal Court, Blair allegedly kicked registered nurse Ashley DeLeo in the chest while being moved for medical treatment at about 2 a.m.

ET on Oct. 12. The filing said the incident caused substantial pain. The affidavit also said Blair was taken into custody after Port Authority police responded to a report of a "physically abusive passenger" aboard the arriving flight.

Officials said two flight attendants reported injuries, with one transported to a hospital.

The filing described the alleged encounter with nurse Ashley DeLeo during Blair's medical transfer. The affidavit stated, "The defendant kicked complainant DeLeo in her chest," the document said, adding that the action caused "substantial pain to her chest."

Blair, 54, was also accused of assaulting Port Authority Police Officer Maria Suarez while being moved from JFK Terminal 4 to an ambulance. The affidavit said Suarez was helping secure Blair on a stretcher when the alleged incident occurred. The court document stated that Blair allegedly "removed her leg from the stretcher straps and kicked Officer Suarez repeatedly about the face, neck and chest," the affidavit said. It also stated Suarez experienced "substantial pain to her face, neck and chest."

Blair's legal team and representative said the actress experienced a medical emergency during the flight. Her representative said, "Selma experienced a medical emergency that led to the alleged conduct," according to a statement. Blair's attorney Shawn Barnes argued in court that the incident was not intentional and said she had missed doses of a medication used to manage severe neurological symptoms. Barnes also referenced Blair's multiple sclerosis diagnosis from 2018.

"This was not an intentional assault," attorney Shawn Barnes said. He described the medication as "powerful" during arguments about Blair's condition. Barnes said Blair had been working "extensive hours" before the flight and claimed she fell and hit her head during the trip.

He added that "These factors, coupled with altitude, resulted in a state of severe confusion and disorientation," Barnes said. Delta addressed the incident in a statement about passenger conduct. The airline said, "zero tolerance for unruly or unlawful behavior, as the safety of our customers and crew always comes first."

Blair was later released on bond and is expected to return to court in January. Judge Indira Kahn said, "I do believe she poses a risk," during the arraignment.

Blair is also scheduled to appear at the 90s Convention in Hartford, although organizers have not confirmed whether she will attend following the arrest.