The authorities arrested American actress Selma Blair after an alleged altercation during a flight from Los Angeles to New York, which resulted in at least two crew members being injured, according to what the authorities announced yesterday (Monday).
The heroine of the films “Legally Blonde” and “Cruel Intentions” was arrested at John F. Kennedy Airport, following the landing of a Delta Airlines flight on Sunday evening, after reports were received of a female passenger causing bodily harm.
American media reported that Blair punched one of the plane's crew members and bit another. It was also reported that she later assaulted a police officer and a nurse while she was being transported to the hospital, according to Agence France-Presse.
A representative for Blair said: “Salma had a medical emergency that led to the alleged behavior.” He added: “Upon landing, she received immediate medical care, and is currently in stable condition.”
A federal judicial source reported that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had issued a subpoena against Blair that included accusations of assault on the plane.
Blair appeared in court yesterday evening (Monday) on two counts of second-degree assault, and was released on bail. A new hearing for the case is scheduled for January 19, 2027.
A Delta Air Lines spokesperson said that the company “has zero tolerance for disorderly or illegal behavior, as the safety of our customers and crew members always remains first.”
In 2016, Blair was removed from a plane on a stretcher after another bout of impulsive behavior during a flight.
In an interview with Vanity Fair magazine, after that incident, Blair said: “I mixed alcohol with medications, which knocked me unconscious and led me to say and do things that I deeply regret.”
She also revealed, in her memoirs published in 2022, that she had bitten a number of celebrities, including Kate Moss, noting that this often happened in situations where she had consumed alcohol.
The young actor, RJ Mitt, known for his character Walter White Jr. in the famous television series “Breaking Bad,” has died at the age of 34, according to what his representatives reported to “Agence France-Presse,” on Monday.
The cause of death of the actor, who suffered from cerebral palsy, was not immediately revealed.
A statement issued by Sean Reilly, the late artist’s representative, said: “It is with great sadness that we share the tragic passing of the beloved actor, philanthropist, and passionate advocate for disability rights, RJ Mitt.”
Mitt was still a teenager when he first appeared in the series “Breaking Bad” in 2008, portraying the character of Walter White Jr., the son of chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin Walter White, a role that earned actor Bryan Cranston international fame.
Reilly said: “Mitt was inspired by his personal experience living with cerebral palsy, which gave credibility to his performance of the character, and enabled him to build a platform to raise awareness of disability issues and promote inclusion.”
Riley added that this charitable activity later developed into his work as an ambassador for the United Cerebral Palsy Association and for the non-profit children's hospital network, Shriners Children.
Riley added: “He also assumed the presidency of the Met Foundation, where he supported charitable efforts and community initiatives, utilizing his platform to challenge stereotypes and promote greater representation of people with disabilities.”
The “Breaking Bad” series, which ran for five seasons between 2008 and 2013, is considered one of the most influential and critically praised television works, and the New York Times chose it as the best television series of the twenty-first century.
The crises of “festival performers” have returned to the forefront in Egypt again after artist Mustafa Kamel, the head of the Musicians Syndicate, announced the suspension of festival performer Issam Sassa from work for a period of 6 months, through a “live broadcast” by the Musicians Syndicate on his personal account on Facebook on Sunday, bringing him together with members of the union council, against the backdrop of Sassa’s appearance in a video on TikTok that was widely circulated over the past few days, carrying an abnormal cigarette according to “social” comments. She thought it contained narcotic substances, in addition to summoning singer Omar Kamal for interrogation after he repeated singing the phrase “I drink liquor and hashish” despite his signing a union declaration not to repeat it again.
The name Issam Sasa topped the search indicators on Google in Egypt on Monday after the “Musicians” issued its decisions, and according to what the “Captain of the Musicians” said, the circulating video of the “permit holder,” Issam Sasa, proved that he departed from professional norms and appeared inappropriately, and put himself under suspicion, despite the precedent of him and all the permit holders signing official declarations and pledges not to engage in such behavior.
In the same “live broadcast,” Mustafa Kamel confirmed that the “permit holder” of the Vocal Performance Division, Omar Kamal, had been summoned for immediate investigation after he repeated the phrase “I drink liquor and hashish,” which he presented in the duet “The Neighbor’s Girl” with Hassan Shakoush years ago, during a concert a few days ago, despite his signing a statement stating that it would not be repeated again, at the time the late artist Hani Shaker took over the Musicians Syndicate.
Mustafa Kamel stressed his rejection of these behaviors and transgressions, pointing out that the phenomenon of “mahraganat songs” has become extinct by 90 percent, and that the current control over the singing scene is by the singing stars who represent Egypt in various artistic events and international forums, according to his speech.
Regarding his general opinion on the behavior of some festival performers in Egypt, Egyptian musician Mounir Al-Wasimi, former head of the Musicians Syndicate, said: “Nothing is correct except what is correct, and membership is supposed to be canceled or the permit suspended permanently in the event of performing dishonorable acts, or deviating from public order, and violating societal values and customs,” adding to Asharq Al-Awsat that “the appearance of celebrities in front of people through social networking sites must be consistent with people’s natural behaviors.”
He continued, "The artist is required to preserve the values of society and act rationally, and to deviate from the norm by repeating controversial and controversial terms, especially since he has an audience from several groups who follow him, and the impact of these terms will be negative on them."
Commenting on the news of his suspension, Issam Sasa expressed, via his Facebook account, his respect and appreciation for the union’s decisions, adding: “Every decision has its respect and every stage has its lessons, and I hope that the coming period will be full of goodness. Thank you to our fans for the love, continued support and trust.”
Before the decision to suspend Issam Sasa and summon Omar Kamal, some festival performers in Egypt were subjected to suspension for certain periods due to statements and behavior that the union considered inappropriate and incorrect, including Hassan Shakoush, Reda El-Bahrawy, Hamo Beka, and Muslim.
In addition, the artist Mustafa Kamel explained that his union decisions came from the inherent role of “musicians” to follow up and evaluate the behavior of members and permit holders, and in order to control artistic performance and adherence to societal and professional values, in accordance with Law 85 of 1978 regarding the establishment of unions, the Federation of Syndicates of Acting and Musical Professions, and in accordance with Article 61 of the union law, which stipulates that the member must adhere in his professional and personal behavior to the principles of honor and honesty. Integrity, and commitment to professional ethics and traditions.
