Selma Blair 'did not intend to harm anyone,' rep says after alleged flight altercation
A representative for Selma Blair has issued a new statement after the actress was arrested and charged with assault following an alleged incident on an Oct. 11 flight from Los Angeles to New York.
"Selma Blair experienced a medical emergency on the flight," Blair's representative said, in part, in a statement obtained by ABC News. "There was no attempt to open the door of the aircraft. Selma did not intend to harm anyone.”
The rep also addressed Blair's 2018 multiple sclerosis diagnosis.
"She still has bad days, and she lives with pain daily," the rep said. "Selma also has pseudobulbar affect, a neurological condition secondary to her MS, which bears directly on how a medical episode presents to people who do not know her."
"We ask to consider the entirety of the facts before rushing to judgment, whether in the courtroom or in the court of public opinion," the rep added.
Blair pleaded not guilty Monday to two counts of assault. She was released on bond and is due back in court in January.
The Port Authority Police Department said it responded to a call Sunday night at the airport regarding what was described as a physically abusive passenger aboard Delta flight 938, which was parked at the gate after arriving from Los Angeles International Airport.
The passenger, identified as Blair, was taken into custody following the alleged incident and transported to a hospital. Sources familiar with the matter told ABC News Blair was treated at Jamaica Hospital in Queens.
Two flight attendants sustained injuries as a result of the alleged incident, with one being transported to the hospital for further evaluation, according to Port Authority officials.
According to air traffic control audio, the pilots informed air traffic controllers ahead of landing that one person had a bloody nose and another person had bite marks and requested that medical personnel be waiting at the gate.
A criminal complaint filed later in Queens charged Blair with two counts of assault in the second degree under New York Penal Law 120.05(3) for alleged altercations with a Port Authority officer and a registered nurse.
A judge set bail for Blair at $20,000 cash, $60,000 bond or $60,000 partially secured bond, during her hearing on Monday. She was later released on bond and the case was adjourned to Jan. 19, 2027.
In addition to the assault charges, Blair was issued a violation notice on Monday alerting her that she is facing federal charges of assaults within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, a source familiar with the federal summons told ABC News.
The summons is answerable to the petty violations court in Brooklyn federal court, the sources said. There is no appearance date.
The FBI and Federal Aviation Administration say they are also investigating the alleged incident.
This is not the first time that Blair has been involved with an incident on a flight. In June 2016, the actress was emoved from a plane on a stretcher and reportedly hospitalized after reportedly causing a scene on a flight home from a trip.
Blair later apologized in a statement to Vanity Fair, saying at the time that she had mixed alcohol with her medication, which caused her to black out.
Blair, who is known for films like "The Sweetest Thing," "Cruel Intentions," "Legally Blonde," and more, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2018. In 2021, she announced that she was in remission.
