Selma Blair Apologizes After Delta Incident, Details Medical Emergency Cause
Selma Blair breaks silence on flight incident, apologizes in video. Legal team links reaction to severe MS medical emergency.
POLICY WIRE — New York, US — Actress Selma Blair has publicly addressed the turbulence surrounding her recent legal troubles, offering a heartfelt apology for the first time since being charged following an incident on a Delta Air Lines flight.
Blair admitted to her social media followers that legal counsel had advised silence regarding the events of October 11, but she felt the need to speak directly to the public after weeks of quiet.
The star of Legally Blonde emphasized that causing harm has never been her intention, stating that she deeply regrets frightening or hurting anyone connected to the situation.
Charges were filed against Blair, 54, after she was detained upon landing in New York City from Los Angeles and taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Centre for evaluation.
According to charging documents, a police officer alleged that Blair pulled one leg free from a stretcher and kicked her officer repeatedly in the face, neck, and chest.
A separate nursing staff member reported being kicked in the chest while assisting the actress during the transport to the hospital.
Blair was arraigned in Queens on two counts of second-degree assault, with a judge setting bail at $20,000 cash or $60,000 bond and scheduling the next hearing for January.
Her defense attorney, Shawn Barnes, argued that the physical reactions were not intentional and stemmed from a severe medical state.
Barnes told the court that Blair had missed doses of a powerful medication used to manage severe neurological symptoms and had also struck her head during the flight.
The lawyer cited the combination of altitude, workload, and the physical trauma as factors that induced a state of severe confusion and disorientation.
In a follow-up statement, Blair’s representatives criticized media coverage that relied on a single police statement and an outdated headline.
They explained that Blair was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2018 and suffers from pseudobulbar affect, a condition that alters how medical episodes are perceived by outsiders.
The team noted that her ability to function physically in recent years is considered miraculous, yet she faces daily pain and difficult days.
Blair also addressed the wellbeing of Scout, the service dog Labrador who accompanied her on the trip, assuring fans that he is doing well.
She concluded her message by focusing on her current priorities: caring for her own health and her son while expressing gratitude for the support she has received.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
