Actress Selma Blair was taken into custody at New York’s JFK airport after police say she turned “physically abusive” on a Delta flight, and her representative says a medical emergency was the cause.
Story Highlights
- Port Authority police say they were called to Delta Flight 938 from Los Angeles for a “physically abusive passenger” and identified her as Blair, 54.
- Officials say two flight attendants reported injuries, and one went to a hospital to be checked.
- Blair’s representative says she had a medical emergency, got care as soon as the plane landed and is in stable condition.
- No charges had been announced as of Monday, Oct. 12, and the FBI is investigating, according to reports.
Police Account: Custody After Landing, Injuries Reported
Port Authority police, the agency that patrols the New York area’s major airports, met the plane at the gate at John F. Kennedy International Airport around 11 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 11, after a call about a passenger who had become “physically abusive” during the flight from Los Angeles. Blair is an actress best known for the films Cruel Intentions, Legally Blonde and Hellboy. Police said, “She was taken into custody and transported to the hospital for evaluation.”
Blair’s representative said a medical emergency led to what happened on the plane. “Upon landing, she received immediate medical attention and is currently in stable condition,” the representative said. The statement, as reported, did not describe the emergency. Blair has spoken openly since 2018 about living with multiple sclerosis, a disease that attacks the nerves and can affect movement, balance and speech. Her representative has not tied the flight to that illness.
What Reports Say Happened in the Air
Officials confirmed that two flight attendants reported injuries and that one was taken to an area hospital for further evaluation. Reports say Blair hit one flight attendant, bit another and tried to open a plane door in mid-flight. The Port Authority statements released so far describe her only as a “physically abusive” passenger and do not include those details. Blair is accused, not charged, and her representative says a health crisis was behind it.
Delta said the flight landed ahead of schedule and that the incident had no effect on its operations. “Delta has zero tolerance for unruly or unlawful behavior, as the safety of our customers and crew always comes first,” the airline said. The FBI, which handles assaults on board planes, is looking into what happened, according to reports.
Why This Matters: Safety in a Sealed Cabin
Federal law makes it a crime to assault or interfere with a flight crew. Regulators treat these cases as safety threats because a crew busy with one passenger has less attention for everyone else on board. Flight attendants are trained to calm a situation, restrain a passenger if they must, and hand the case to police on the ground. On this flight, police say officers met the plane at the gate.
A medical emergency in the air is also a real danger. Crews must sort out, in a small space and with little help, whether a passenger is sick, frightened or a threat. Police took Blair to a hospital for evaluation after the plane landed, and her representative says she received medical care right away.
Next Steps: Investigation and What Comes Next
Investigators often review crew statements, passenger accounts and any video from the cabin or the gate. Federal prosecutors decide whether to bring charges for assault or interfering with a crew. As of Monday, Oct. 12, police had not announced any charge, and Blair’s representative had not said more about her condition.
This is not the first time Blair has made news on a flight. In 2016 she was carried off a plane returning from Mexico on a stretcher after an outburst she later blamed on mixing alcohol with medication, which she said caused her to black out. For travelers, the lesson stays simple: follow crew instructions, speak up early about a health problem, and back the men and women who keep order at 35,000 feet.
Sources:
themirror.com, tvinsider.com, foxnews.com, nypost.com, usatoday.com
