Actress Blair says she ‘did not intend to harm anyone’ in plane altercation

US actress Selma Blair has addressed allegations of assaulting multiple individuals on a flight to New York. Her publicist stated that she "did not intend to harm anyone" and emphasized that there is "much more to this story". Blair, 54, revealed she experienced a medical emergency on the aircraft and is still battling multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic illness she publicly disclosed in 2018.

She announced in 2021 that she was in remission, but the statement highlights that she still faces daily pain. The actress also has pseudobulbar affect (PBA), a disorder affecting emotional expression which can result in out-of-control laughing, crying, or anger, according to the US National Institutes of Health. Blair pleaded not guilty to charges of assaulting a police officer, a nurse, and two flight attendants on board a Delta Airlines flight.

Her team denied media reports that she attempted to open the aircraft door. The incident occurred on a flight from Los Angeles to New York, and New York airport officials responded to a report of a "physically abusive passenger". Blair was arrested, taken to the hospital, and released on bail after being issued a federal summons for assault within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the US.