Selma Blair addressed the people she hurt or frightened in an Oct. 30 Instagram video following her arrest after a Delta One flight, saying her lawyers have advised her against discussing what happened on Oct. 11.
“What I can tell you, though, is very simple and the truest thing I know about myself, in that not one day ever have I intended to hurt or frighten anyone a day in my life,” the 54-year-old actress said. “And so, to the people that I disappointed, that I hurt, that I frightened, alarmed, I am so sorry.”
Blair acknowledged that she’d been quiet for a couple of weeks and apologized for the delay. “There is a legal matter going on, and my lawyers have asked me to not say anything about that day, and I’m listening to them. And I take this very seriously.”
Police were called around 11 p.m. on Oct. 11 after Delta Flight 938 from Los Angeles reached its gate at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. Dispatch audio described a bloody nose and bite marks among injuries involving a flight attendant and a passenger, and said Blair had hit her head against the bulkhead. A flight attendant was hospitalized, and Blair was taken for a medical evaluation.
The 2 felony second-degree assault charges against Blair concern allegations about her transport to an ambulance. A criminal complaint alleges that, while she was being secured to a stretcher, she repeatedly kicked Port Authority Police Officer Maria Suarez in the face, neck and chest.
Suarez said the resulting pain and swelling required hospital treatment. A registered nurse also alleged that Blair kicked her in the chest, causing substantial pain.
Blair pleaded not guilty in Queens Criminal Court on Oct. 12 and was released after posting $20,000 bail.
Her attorney, Shawn Barnes, told the court she’d been working long hours, missed doses of medication and fallen and hit her head on the plane. Her representative, Fritzo, said Blair had experienced a medical emergency that led to the alleged conduct and was in stable condition after receiving care.
Blair was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in August 2018 and has said she’s in remission. In an Oct. 16 statement, Fritzo said she still experiences daily pain and also has pseudobulbar affect, a neurological condition associated with her MS that can cause uncontrollable laughing or crying. Fritzo said authorities separated Blair from her service dog during the incident.
In her video, Blair said the dog, Scout, was okay and thanked those who’d sent support to her and her son. “Right now, I’m going to be taking care of my health and my son, and thinking of you all with gratitude and love.”