Selma Blair pleads not guilty to assault charges connected to flight incident
Actress Selma Blair pleaded not guilty to assault charges on Monday stemming from an incident involving alleged violent behavior during and after a Delta Air Lines flight.
Appearing emotional in court beside her legal team, Blair entered a not-guilty plea to two counts of second-degree assault before Queens County Court Judge Indira Khan.
Blair's defense team maintained that the erratic behavior was the result of a sudden medical emergency rather than intentional misconduct.
"The violence that we've talked about, this is not who she is. This is not what she represents," Blair's lawyer told the judge, as shown in a clip from Entertainment Tonight. "It is a sole incident. It is not something that she's ever demonstrated, ever."
"Ms. Blair did not get on that plane intending for any of this, Your Honor. Again, this was a medical emergency," a second lawyer said.
The trouble began on Sunday (US time) while Blair was aboard a flight from Los Angeles International Airport to John F. Kennedy International Airport, where she allegedly became physically aggressive toward flight staff. Three flight attendants reportedly required medical attention following the flight.
According to the affidavit cited by Los Angeles Times, a police officer reported that while she was helping strap Blair onto a stretcher at the airport to prepare her for transport, Blair, "removed her leg from the stretcher straps and kicked" the officer "repeatedly about the face, neck, and chest." The attack supposedly caused swelling in the officer's jaw, coupled with pain in her face, neck, and chest.
The officer has since been treated at a local hospital.
When Blair, 54, arrived at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center at around 2 a.m. on Monday (US time), she also "kicked [a nurse] in her chest]," read the affidavit, per LA Times.
Blair's bail was set by Queens County Court Judge Indira Khan at $20,000 cash (around P1.2 million), $60,000 bond (around P3.8 million), or a $60,000 partially secured bond.
The actress was released later that day.
Per PEOPLE, Blair was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2018. According to the Mayo Clinic, MS is an incurable disease that progressively breaks down the protective insulation of nerves, causing numerous symptoms, including numbness, weakness, and trouble walking.
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