Selma Blair Pleads Not Guilty After Flight and Hospital Incident

Caption: Selma Blair at a White House reception in 2023. Credit: Carlos Fyfe / The White House / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Actress Selma Blair has pleaded not guilty to two assault charges stemming from confrontations alleged to have occurred after a flight from Los Angeles to New York. Prosecutors say a Port Authority police officer and a hospital nurse were assaulted during the incident. Blair’s attorney says she experienced a severe medical episode and disputes any suggestion that she deliberately chose to harm people.

What authorities allege

The allegations followed a Delta flight arriving at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Sunday, October 11. Reporting based on charging documents describes an alleged disruption involving flight attendants. The two state second-degree assault charges concern Blair’s alleged conduct involving a Port Authority police officer and a hospital nurse after the flight; neither charge is a finding of guilt.

Blair enters a plea

Blair appeared in Queens criminal court on Monday, October 12, pleaded not guilty to the two state assault counts and was released subject to bail. A separate federal process concerns alleged conduct aboard the aircraft: the FBI issued a violation notice and summons, according to PEOPLE, while the Los Angeles Times described a federal notice charging Blair with assault. Those proceedings are separate from the Queens state case.

Her representatives describe a medical emergency

A representative for Blair said she experienced a medical emergency that led to the alleged conduct and received medical attention after landing. Separately, her attorney told the court that the alleged assault was not intentional, according to the Los Angeles Times. These are accounts advanced on Blair’s behalf, not medical findings or determinations by the court. Blair has previously spoken publicly about living with multiple sclerosis.

The legal case continues

Blair is presumed innocent in the criminal proceedings. Her next court date, as reported, is January 19, 2027. The unresolved questions concern the evidence behind the state allegations and the separate federal case, including the specific charging documents and any subsequent court action.

References: Selma Blair Charged with 2 Counts of Assault After Allegedly Kicking Nurse in ‘Chest’ and Cop ‘Repeatedly’ | Selma Blair pleads not guilty to assaulting police officer, nurse after Delta Airlines incident