Actor Selma Blair Had No Intent to Harm on Flight, Spokesperson Says

Representatives for actor Selma Blair stated on Friday that she did not intend to harm anyone or attempt to open an aircraft door during an incident on a US Delta Air Lines flight from Los Angeles to New York. According to her publicist, Blair suffered a medical emergency on the flight due to multiple sclerosis and a neurological condition called pseudobulbar affect, which affects how a medical episode appears to strangers. Her team also noted that authorities took her service dog from her during the incident, and criticized public speculation while defending her record as an advocate and working actor. Police previously stated that officers met the plane upon landing at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport following reports of a physically abusive passenger. Two flight attendants reported injuries, with one taken to a hospital, and Blair was subsequently charged with assault after allegedly punching one flight attendant and biting another. Blair pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges of assaulting a police officer involved in her arrest and a hospital nurse where she was taken afterward.

Context

Medical emergencies and neurological episodes can sometimes lead to unpredictable physical reactions that are easily misunderstood by people unfamiliar with a person's underlying health condition. High-profile incidents involving celebrities often attract rapid public speculation before all legal facts and medical details are fully examined in court.