Actor Selma Blair arrested in New York after alleged assault on flight

Actor Selma Blair was arrested after she was accused of injuring two flight attendants on a trip from Los Angeles to New York.She was also accused of kicking a police officer taking her to the hospital and kicking a nurse once she got there.Blair pleaded not guilty on Monday night to two counts of assault for state charges involving the officer and the nurse.She also faces separate federal charges based on what happened on the flight, which her representatives say was brought on by a severe medical emergency.READ MOREThe 54-year-old actor was detained by police at about 11pm on Sunday after the Delta Air Lines jet parked at the gate at John F Kennedy International Airport, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said in a statement.Blair and one of the flight attendants were taken to a hospital for evaluation, the Port Authority said.A police officer taking Blair to Jamaica Hospital Medical Centre has alleged that while she was securing Blair to a stretcher, Blair pulled a leg from the straps and kicked her repeatedly around the face, neck and chest, causing serious pain and substantial swelling.Later, a nurse moving Blair alleged the actor kicked her in the chest, causing substantial pain.Blair was arraigned on two counts of second-degree assault late on Monday at a court in Queens, where a judge set her bail at $20,000 (€17,856) dollars cash or $60,000 dollars bond and set the next hearing for January. She left the court with her lawyersSelma Blair with reporters after leaving court. Photograph: Ryan Murphy/AP Her lawyer Shawn Barnes told a judge her actions were not intentional. He said the actor, who has multiple sclerosis, missed several doses of “a powerful medication that controls severe neurological symptoms,” according to the New York Daily News and New York Post.He said she had gotten on the flight in Los Angeles after a heavy workload, and hit her head during the flight. He said these factors along with the altitude led to “a state of severe confusion and disorientation”.A Blair representative said that the actor had a medical emergency that led to the alleged conduct.Details of what happened aboard the aircraft weren’t immediately disclosed by the airline, police or the FBI, which was investigating, but Delta said in a statement it “has zero tolerance for unruly or unlawful behaviour, as the safety of our customers and crew always comes first”.The FBI also issued Blair a notice charging her with assault related to her actions aboard the aircraft, according to a federal law enforcement official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly about the matter.Those charges will be handled through the petty violations court in federal court in Brooklyn.No date has been set for Blair’s appearance.Blair had major roles in films including 1999’s Cruel Intentions, 2001’s Legally Blonde and 2004’s Hellboy.In recent years, she has advocated for disability rights. Blair was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2018.In 2023, she joined former president Joe Biden at the White House to celebrate the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. – AP