Selma Blair arrested at JFK after she allegedly attacked flight attendants

The actor Selma Blair was arrested on Sunday at John F Kennedy (JFK) airport in New York on allegations that she attacked flight attendants on a Delta Air Lines flight, according to officials.

Blair’s arrest happened at about 11pm, after Port Authority of New York and New Jersey officials said they responded to a call “about a physically abusive passenger aboard Delta Air Lines flight 938 which was parked at the gate” at JFK after arriving from Los Angeles (LAX).

Blair, 54, “was taken into custody and transported to the hospital for evaluation”, the port authority also said on Monday. “Two flight attendants also reported injuries, and one was transported to the hospital for further evaluation.”

The port authority said the FBI – which handles reports of crimes on airplanes – was investigating Sunday’s allegations against Blair.

Asked to comment on Blair’s arrest, a Delta spokesperson said the airline “has zero tolerance for unruly or unlawful behavior, as the safety of our customers and crew always comes first”.

The spokesperson added that Blair’s arrest did not affect the flight she and her fellow passengers were on – and that it still landed ahead of schedule at JFK.

Several news outlets on Monday reported that Blair allegedly punched a flight attendant, bit another and tried to open the airplane door.

However, statements released by officials did not immediately address those reported details.

The Guardian has reached out to Blair’s representatives for additional comment. Her publicist told the Hollywood Reporter: “Selma experienced a medical emergency that led to the alleged conduct. Upon landing, she received immediate medical attention and is [now] in stable condition.”

Sunday marked at least the second time Blair was reported to be involved in such an incident. In 2016, she reportedly began screaming uncontrollably before being removed on a stretcher while on a Los Angeles-bound flight from Cancún, Mexico.

Blair apologized after the earlier episode, saying that she “mixed alcohol with medication”.

“That caused me to black out and led me to say and do things that I deeply regret,” Blair said at the time.

The actor has also made news headlines for a 2018 multiple sclerosis diagnosis. And in February 2024, she apologized for an Islamophobic comment on social media.

Blair’s starring film credits include Cruel Intentions, Legally Blonde and Hellboy. She earned a best spoken world album for children nomination at the 2011 Grammy awards, for her work on Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl – The Definitive Edition.