Selma Blair's Lawyer Says She Missed Medication and Fell

Attorney Sean Barns says actress Selma Blair missed several doses of her medication before a flight from Los Angeles to New York, and that she fell on the plane and hit her head. His statement was reported by Page Six and also published by Novosti. We previously covered the actress’s arrest at JFK airport, and the lawyer’s response and the date of her next court appearance are now known.

What does Selma Blair’s lawyer say?

Barns stated:

This was not an intentional attack. Ms. Blair missed several doses of… a powerful medication that controls serious neurological symptoms. She boarded the flight after spending days shooting on set, working long and exhausting hours. In addition, at one point during the flight there was an incident in which Ms. Blair fell and hit her head.

He added that this combination of problems and the altitude led to “serious confusion and disorientation.” The lawyer did not name the medication or a diagnosis. ABC News notes in its report that Blair was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2018 and said in 2021 that the disease was in remission.

The actress’s representative told ABC News: “Selma experienced a medical crisis that led to the behavior in question. She received medical care immediately upon landing and is currently in stable condition.” Novosti attributes that same sentence to the lawyer, so the two sources differ on this point.

What happened on Flight 938?

The incident took place on Sunday, October 11, on Delta Flight 938. Port Authority of New York police were called to JFK airport over a physically violent passenger while the plane was already at the gate. Before landing, the pilots told air traffic control that one person was bleeding from the nose and another had bite marks, and they requested medical help at the gate.

The Port Authority says two flight attendants were injured and one was taken to the hospital. Novosti, citing foreign media, writes that the actress punched one crew member and bit another, and that one flight attendant also suffered cuts. According to the same source, she tried to open the aircraft door during the flight. ABC News does not mention that claim.

Delta said the flight had no operational impact because it landed ahead of schedule and was met by police on arrival. The company said: “Delta has zero tolerance for unruly or unlawful behavior, as the safety of our passengers and crew always comes first.”

What is Selma Blair charged with?

The actress appeared in a Queens court on Monday evening. She faces two counts of second-degree assault, not for events in the cabin but for what allegedly happened after landing. According to the complaint obtained by ABC News, she kicked a Port Authority officer in the face, neck and chest while the officer was helping carry her to an ambulance. She also kicked a nurse at Jamaica Hospital in the chest, and both women reported pain, with one reporting a swollen jaw.

The judge set bail at $20,000 in cash or $60,000 in bond. The next hearing is scheduled for January 19, 2027. Blair was also given a federal misdemeanor citation the same day for assault within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States. She is to answer in the petty offenses court in Brooklyn, but no appearance date has been set. The FBI and the Federal Aviation Administration say they are investigating.

This is not the first time the actress has been linked to an airplane incident. ABC News recalls that in June 2016 she was taken off a plane on a stretcher and hospitalized. She later apologized in Vanity Fair, saying she had mixed alcohol and medication. Guilt for the current events has not been established, and the lawyer’s version is so far the only one the actress’s side has made public.