Selma Blair Flight Incident Ends in Federal Assault Summons

Selma Blair, 54, was arrested late Sunday night after a Delta Air Lines flight from Los Angeles landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport, and the FBI has now issued her a federal summons accusing her of assaulting flight attendants during the flight, according to the Associated Press. The Selma Blair flight incident began in the air, where she allegedly tried to open the cabin door mid-flight and attacked two members of the cabin crew, TMZ reported. Port Authority police took her into custody shortly after the plane touched down, and the case will now move through federal court.

What happened on the flight to JFK

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey confirmed that both attendants reported injuries in the Selma Blair flight incident and that one was taken to a hospital for evaluation after the landing. Dispatch audio obtained by TMZ described a bloody nose and bite marks among the reported injuries. Blair was restrained on board before the plane reached the gate, TMZ reported, and the aircraft spent time on lockdown while the crew managed the disturbance, according to NBC New York.

Blair is best known for her roles in Cruel Intentions and Legally Blonde, and she has spoken publicly about living with multiple sclerosis. Air traffic control audio from JFK detailed the reported injuries of the actress, a flight attendant, and another passenger after the alleged altercation on the Delta flight, NBC reported. The Port Authority police responded to a call around eleven at night about a physically abusive passenger aboard the arriving flight, a department spokesperson said.

The federal summons and possible penalties

The FBI issued Blair a violation summons listing assault within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, the Associated Press reported, citing a federal law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity. The notice means the Selma Blair flight incident will be handled in a federal petty-violations court in Brooklyn, though no court date has been set. The Times reported that Blair was arrested after the alleged violent disturbance on the Sunday flight from Los Angeles to New York.

A senior law enforcement official told NBC New York that the violation can carry up to a year in prison and amounts to a federal misdemeanor, which means the Selma Blair flight incident will be treated as a misdemeanor case. The summons is issued in lieu of arrest, the official said, and is typically resolved with a fine or counseling at a later hearing. It is not yet clear whether Blair will face additional criminal charges beyond the summons, according to the same reporting.

A medical emergency defense and a prior incident

Blair's representative pushed back on the allegations with a medical explanation. In a statement given to TMZ, the representative said a medical emergency led to the alleged conduct and that Blair received immediate care on landing and is in stable condition. Blair was herself taken to a hospital for evaluation. Delta Air Lines told the New York Times that it has zero tolerance for unruly or unlawful behavior and that the safety of customers and crew always comes first.

The Selma Blair flight incident did not end on the tarmac. Blair allegedly kicked a Port Authority officer in the head while being taken to a hospital in an ambulance, TMZ reported, and later assaulted a nurse at the hospital. The Daily Caller reported that she now faces separate assault charges tied to those episodes. FBI New York spokeswoman Sydney Kleinmann said the bureau was informed by Port Authority police of a potential assault aboard the arriving flight, adding that long-standing Justice Department policy bars comment on active investigations.

It is not the first time Blair has faced trouble on a flight. In 2016 she was removed from a Cancun to Los Angeles flight after a disruptive outburst, MyNewsLA reported. For now, the Selma Blair flight incident sits with federal authorities and the Brooklyn court, with the misdemeanor summons expected to produce a hearing date where a penalty would be negotiated. Aviation assaults fall under federal jurisdiction because they occur in the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, the same legal category named on Blair's notice, and the investigation continues.