Sawt Falasteen - US actor Selma Blair charged with assault after alleged flight altercation

The "Legally Blonde" and "Cruel Intentions" star was detained at John F Kennedy Airport after her Delta Air Lines flight landed late Sunday following reports of a physically abusive passenger.

US media said that Blair punched one flight attendant and bit another. The 54-year-old then reportedly assaulted a police officer and nurse as she was transported to hospital.

Blair was charged with two counts of second-degree assault on the police officer and nurse at a New York state court late Monday, according to court documents.

She pleaded not guilty to both counts and was released on bail. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for January 19.

The FBI also issued a summons accusing Blair of assaults on the plane, according to a federal judicial source.

A representative for Blair said that "Selma experienced a medical emergency that led to the alleged conduct."

"Upon landing, she received immediate medical attention and is currently in stable condition," the representative said.

A spokesperson for Delta said the airline "has zero tolerance for unruly or unlawful behavior, as the safety of our customers and crew always comes first."

In 2016, Blair was removed from a plane on a stretcher after an outburst on a flight.

"I mixed alcohol with medication, and that caused me to black out and led me to say and do things that I deeply regret," she told Vanity Fair after that incident.

She also described in her 2022 memoir having bitten several celebrities, including Kate Moss, often in situations where she had been drinking alcohol.

L.AbuTayeh--SF-PST