Selma Blair pleads not guilty to assault charges after Delta flight incident

Plea and bail

Selma Blair pleaded not guilty at a Monday evening hearing in Queens to two counts of assault over allegations she kicked a police officer and a nurse after arriving in New York on a Delta flight. She was released after posting bail, set at $20,000 cash or $60,000 bond. The Guardian Culture+1

Her next hearing was set for Jan. 19, 2027. The judge also reportedly granted an order of protection for the nurse. The Hollywood Reporter

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Allegations on the flight and afterward

Port Authority officials said Blair was taken into custody at about 11 p.m. Sunday after officers responded to a report of a physically abusive passenger aboard Delta flight 938, parked at a JFK gate after arriving from Los Angeles. Two flight attendants reported injuries, and one was taken to hospital for evaluation. The Guardian Culture+1

News reports alleged that Blair punched one attendant, bit another and tried to open the aircraft door. According to charging documents, an officer alleged Blair freed a leg from stretcher straps and repeatedly kicked her around the face, neck and chest. A nurse alleged Blair later kicked her in the chest at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. The Guardian Culture+1

The FBI issued Blair a separate notice charging her with assault related to her conduct aboard the aircraft, according to a federal law enforcement official cited by the Associated Press. That case will be handled in federal court in Brooklyn; no appearance date had been set. The Guardian Culture

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Medical explanation and airline response

Blair’s publicist said she experienced a medical emergency that led to the alleged conduct, received immediate medical attention after landing and was in stable condition. The Guardian Culture

Her attorney Shawn Barnes told the court that Blair had missed medication used to manage her multiple sclerosis, had worked extensive hours and had struck her head during the flight. He argued that these factors, combined with altitude, caused severe confusion and disorientation. The Hollywood Reporter

Delta said it had “zero tolerance for unruly or unlawful behavior” and that customer and crew safety came first. The Guardian Culture+1

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