Actress Selma Blair was arrested following a series of physical altercations on a Delta Air Lines flight from Los Angeles to New York. According to Port Authority Police and law enforcement sources, the incident involved alleged assaults on flight crew members and medical staff. Blair’s attorney stated that the actress experienced a medical emergency that led to the conduct and that she was in stable condition following the event.
The incident occurred at approximately 11 p.m. Sunday on Delta Flight 938 traveling to John F. Kennedy International Airport. A law enforcement source reported that the flight crew was required to restrain Blair during the flight. Air traffic control audio captured the pilot requesting medical personnel to meet the aircraft at the gate, noting that a passenger had "bashed her head on the bulkhead" and that crew members had sustained injuries.
Port Authority Police and the FBI met the aircraft upon landing, and the FBI confirmed it is investigating a potential assault. A law enforcement source stated that one flight attendant was bitten and another suffered a laceration; one crew member was subsequently transported to a hospital. Blair, who reportedly also kicked a Port Authority Police officer in an ambulance and assaulted a nurse at Jamaica Hospital, was taken into custody for evaluation.
In a separate incident on Monday, June 20, 2016, Blair was removed by stretcher from a flight traveling from Cancun, Mexico, to Los Angeles. A source told People magazine that Blair appeared to have mixed alcohol with prescription medication. On June 21, 2016, Blair issued an apology, stating she had made a "big mistake" by mixing alcohol and medication, which caused her to black out and behave in a manner she deeply regretted.
The scale of the incident involves the mobilization of multiple agencies, including the FBI and the Port Authority Police Department, to investigate potential federal crimes committed on an aircraft. Under Delta’s "zero tolerance" policy for unruly behavior, such incidents can lead to passengers being banned from future travel on the airline.
The next steps in the legal process include the ongoing FBI investigation into the reported assault. Blair remains in custody for evaluation as of the latest report. Future developments will depend on whether the FBI or local prosecutors file formal charges regarding the injuries to the flight crew, the police officer, and the hospital staff.