Arrest at JFK Airport
Actor Selma Blair was taken into custody at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York late on Sunday, 11 October 2026, after a Delta Air Lines flight from Los Angeles had parked at the gate. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey police said flight attendants reported a physically abusive passenger, and two flight attendants reported injuries, one of whom was taken to hospital. Police identified Blair, 54, as the suspect, and she was taken to hospital for evaluation together with one of the flight attendants. The FBI is investigating, according to the Port Authority statement. Delta said it has zero tolerance for unruly or unlawful behaviour and that the safety of customers and crew comes first.
According to TMZ, as reported by N-tv, Blair tried to open the aircraft door in mid-flight, struck one crew member and bit another. These accounts come from media reporting and are not part of the police statement.
Charges and court appearance
On Monday evening, 12 October 2026, Blair appeared before the Queens Criminal Court. Media reports citing court documents say she faces two counts of assault in the second degree. The charges relate to an alleged attack on a police officer, whom she allegedly kicked in the head and chest while she lay on a stretcher, and to an alleged attack on a nurse, whom she allegedly kicked in the chest at the hospital. The judge, Indira Kahn, ordered Blair to remain handcuffed during the hearing despite requests from her lawyers to remove them. Blair pleaded not guilty.
- Blair arrested at JFK Airport late on Sunday after an in-flight incident with flight attendants
- Court appearance in Queens on Monday evening, where bail was set
- Next court hearing scheduled
Defence and medical emergency
Blair's lawyer, Shawn Barnes, told the court that she was experiencing a medical emergency and that the incident was not a deliberate assault. He said she had worked for many hours on set before boarding, fell during the flight and hit her head, and had skipped several doses of a powerful medication used to control severe neurological symptoms. Barnes said these factors, together with the altitude, caused severe confusion and disorientation. Blair has multiple sclerosis, a condition she publicly disclosed in 2018. A representative for Blair said earlier that she had a medical emergency that led to the alleged conduct, and that she was in stable condition after landing.
Bail and next hearing
Judge Kahn set bail at $20,000 in cash and a $60,000 bond. Blair paid the cash amount immediately and was released. She was also ordered to stay away from the nurse. Her next court appearance is set for January 2027. If convicted, she faces two to seven years in prison.
Earlier incident
In 2016 Blair was taken off a plane on a stretcher after a flight from Cancun to Los Angeles, and she was taken to hospital. In a later interview with Vanity Fair she said she had mixed alcohol and medication, which led to a blackout, and that she deeply regrets things she said and did. According to Stern, she also wrote in her 2022 memoir that she had bitten several celebrities, mostly while drinking, including the British supermodel Kate Moss.