US actor Selma Blair in custody after mid-air chaos on flight leaves 2 injured

Selma Blair was taken into custody after an alleged mid-air incident on a Delta flight to New York. The episode left two crew members injured and is now under FBI investigation.

In Short

• Police met the aircraft at JFK after reports of abuse onboard
• Blair's representative said a medical emergency preceded the alleged conduct
• Two crew members were hurt, and one was taken for evaluation

American actor Selma Blair was taken into custody after an alleged mid-air incident aboard a Delta Air Lines flight from Los Angeles to New York left two flight attendants injured on Sunday night.

Blair was at central booking at Queens Criminal Court as of late Monday afternoon, according to a law enforcement source. She was taken into custody after police responded to reports of a physically abusive passenger aboard the flight arriving at John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK), the Port Authority said.

She was later transported to a hospital for evaluation. Her representative said earlier on Monday that Blair had experienced a “medical emergency that led to the alleged conduct”. She received immediate medical attention and was in stable condition, the representative added.

Two flight attendants reported injuries, with one taken to a hospital for further evaluation, according to the Port Authority. Dispatch audio obtained by CNN from ATC.com indicated that medical personnel had initially been requested to meet the arriving flight to attend to two crew members.

The audio later referred to minor injuries, including a bloody nose and bite marks, without specifying who had sustained them. It also mentioned that the disruptive passenger may have hit her head against the aircraft's bulkhead.

The FBI is investigating the incident. The agency's New York field office declined to comment on the ongoing investigation.

Delta Air Lines said it had zero tolerance for unruly or unlawful behaviour, stressing that the safety of passengers and crew remained its priority. The airline confirmed that law enforcement officials met the aircraft upon its arrival.

Blair's representative did not immediately respond to CNN's request for further comment.

This is not the first time Selma Blair has been involved in an incident aboard a commercial flight. In 2016, Blair publicly apologised after becoming disruptive on a flight from Cancun to Los Angeles and being removed from the aircraft on a stretcher. She was subsequently hospitalised.

In a statement to Vanity Fair at the time, Blair described the episode as “a big mistake”, saying she had mixed alcohol with medication, causing her to black out and behave in ways she deeply regretted.

Blair revealed in 2018 that she had multiple sclerosis (MS), a disease affecting the central nervous system. Her experience living with the condition and undergoing treatment was also documented in a film released in 2021. Multiple sclerosis can affect movement, sensation and other bodily functions, and there is currently no cure.

On Sunday, Blair shared a video on Instagram recapping her recent travels, mentioning trips between Los Angeles, New Mexico and New York City.

Blair rose to prominence with the 1999 film ‘Cruel Intentions’ and later appeared in the 2001 comedy ‘Legally Blonde’. Her other credits include the ‘Hellboy’ film franchise and the romantic comedy ‘The Sweetest Thing’.

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