Selma Blair pleads not guilty to alleged assaults on 2 flight attendants, police officer, nurse; Details of case

Actress Selma Blair was released on Monday, hours after pleading not guilty in Queens Criminal Court to a series of violent incidents that, according to authorities, began on a flight from Delta and ended at a New York hospital. Her case is scheduled to be heard again on Jan. 19, 2027.

According to Page Six and The New York Post, the 54-year-old star of "Legally Blonde" and "Cruel Intentions," faces two state charges of second-degree assault. If convicted, she could face between two and seven years in prison.

It all began Sunday night, on a flight from Los Angeles to John F. Kennedy International Airport. Before landing, Blair allegedly struck one flight attendant and bit another. Police told the NYP that both crew members were seriously injured and that one had to be hospitalized. Officers were waiting for the plane on the ground, and the actress was subdued on board and arrested. In an audio recording obtained by TMZ, she can be heard screaming and begging to be let go as she was being removed from the aircraft.

The state charges, however, do not refer to what happened in the air. According to the criminal complaint cited by the New York tabloid, Blair freed one leg from the straps on the stretcher during her ambulance transfer from Terminal 4 and kicked a Port Authority Police officer several times in the face, neck and chest. The officer ended up with a swollen jaw. Once at Jamaica Hospital, the actress allegedly kicked a nurse in the chest as the nurse was moving her to receive further medical attention.

What happened inside the plane is being handled separately. The FBI is investigating the case, and sources consulted by the NYP anticipate that Blair will face at least one federal charge for assault committed within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States. It is not a felony, but it can carry a sentence of up to one year in prison.

According to reports, during the arraignment, Blair appeared very distraught, and one of her attorneys, Joshua Reitzas, wiped away her tears. The judge ordered that she remain handcuffed in the courtroom despite the defense's request and set bail at $20,000 in cash or $60,000 by bond. The actress paid in cash and left the building limping, without making any statements. A protection order in favor of the nurse also remained in effect.

Her other attorney, Shawn Barnes, attributed the incident to a combination of factors. He explained that Blair, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, had missed several doses of the medication that controls her neurological symptoms, had just come off several days of grueling work on a film set and had fallen and hit her head during the flight. "These factors, coupled with the altitude, resulted in a state of severe confusion and disorientation," he told the court.

Reitzas, for his part, asked that his client's track record be taken into account and described her as a role model. The judge, however, did not grant this request. "Ms. Blair should not get special treatment because she is a celebrity," she said.

A representative for the actress assured Page Six that Blair suffered a medical emergency, that she was treated upon landing and that her condition is stable.

Delta Airlines, on the other hand, condemned the incident and reiterated that the safety of passengers and crew is its top priority.