Selma Blair has broken her silence after her arrest on a flight to New York, posting a tearful video apology in which she said she never intended to hurt or frighten anyone.
The Cruel Intentions and Legally Blonde actress, 54, shared the video on Instagram on Friday, October 30, almost three weeks after the October 11 incident on a Delta Air Lines flight from Los Angeles to New York. It was her first public comment since the arrest.
“I take this very seriously,” Blair said in the video, adding that she was sorry it had taken her so long to speak directly to the public.
What happened on the flight
Blair was detained by police after the Delta flight landed at John F Kennedy International Airport in New York on October 11. According to police and prosecutors, she allegedly punched one flight attendant and bit another during the flight, and was restrained on the aircraft before being taken into custody.
Authorities also alleged that Blair kicked a Port Authority police officer in the head while being taken to hospital in an ambulance, and later assaulted a nurse at the hospital. The 911 dispatch audio from the incident captured the pilot asking for medical help and police when the plane landed.
Blair was arraigned in a Queens court on October 12 on two counts of second-degree assault, relating to the alleged attacks on the officer and the nurse. Her lawyer entered a not guilty plea on her behalf, and she was released on $20,000 bail. She is due back in court in Queens on January 19, 2027, and the case is still going through the courts. The allegations have not been established in court.
What Selma Blair said in her apology
In the video, Blair said her lawyers had asked her not to discuss the details of that day while the legal case continues, and that she was listening to them. But she wanted to address the people affected by what happened.
“Hi, it’s me. I know I’ve been quiet for a couple weeks since Oct. 11,” she said. “You deserve to hear from me directly, and I’m sorry it’s taken this long.”
“What I can tell you, though, is very simple, and the truest thing I know about myself, and that not one day ever have I intended to hurt or frighten anyone a day in my life,” she said.
She then apologised directly to those affected: “To the people that I disappointed, that I hurt, I frightened, alarmed: I am so sorry.”
Blair said she plans to focus on taking care of her health and her son, Arthur Saint Bleick, with her service dog, Scout, nearby. The video was widely covered by entertainment outlets, with Page Six reporting that she fought back tears as she spoke.
Why her lawyers say it happened
Blair’s legal team has told the court that the incident was the result of a medical emergency. They said Blair, who has multiple sclerosis and Parkinsonism, had missed several doses of her medication and had a fall during the flight.
Blair revealed in 2018 that she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a condition that affects the brain and spinal cord. She has spoken openly about the illness in the years since, including in the 2021 documentary Introducing, Selma Blair.
This is not the first time Blair has been involved in an incident on a plane. In 2016, she was removed from a flight by stretcher after an outburst on board, an episode she later linked to a mix of alcohol and medication.
What happens next
Blair’s next court date is January 19, 2027, in Queens, where proceedings over the two second-degree assault charges are expected to continue. She has pleaded not guilty, and her lawyers have said they will argue the incident was caused by a medical emergency rather than intent to harm.
For now, Blair has said she is staying quiet about the details on legal advice and is focusing on her health and her family. Her apology video, though, has answered the question many fans were asking since October 11: why she had said nothing at all.
FAQ
Why was Selma Blair arrested?
She was arrested at JFK Airport on October 11, 2026, after an alleged incident on a Delta flight from Los Angeles, in which she is accused of assaulting flight attendants, a police officer and a nurse. She has pleaded not guilty.
What did Selma Blair say in her apology?
In an Instagram video posted on October 30, she said she never intended to hurt or frighten anyone, apologised to the people she disappointed, hurt, frightened or alarmed, and said she takes the matter very seriously.
When is Selma Blair due back in court?
Her next court date is January 19, 2027, in Queens, New York.
