Selma Blair Says 'I Never Intended To Hurt Anyone' After Alleged Plane Outburst and Assault Charges

Selma Blair has apologised for the first time since being charged with multiple assaults after an alleged outburst on a flight from Los Angeles to New York on 11 October, saying she has 'never intended to hurt or frighten anyone.'

The 'Cruel Intentions' actor, 54, who has pleaded not guilty to two counts of second-degree assault, spoke in a three-minute Instagram video posted on Friday, almost three weeks after the Delta Air Lines incident.

'I know I've been quiet for a couple weeks since October 11,' she said. 'And you deserve to hear from me directly.' She said her lawyers had asked her not to discuss the day itself while the legal case continues.

'To the people that I disappointed, that I hurt, I frightened, that I alarmed, I am so sorry,' Blair said.

She thanked supporters whose messages 'have meant everything to me and my son,' and said her service dog, Scout, who was on the flight, was 'OK.' She said she would now focus on her health and her son.

What Police Say Happened on Board the Flight

Port Authority police detained Blair when the flight landed at John F Kennedy International Airport on the night of 11 October. Delta said the plane arrived ahead of schedule, with no operational impact.

According to Port Authority police records, Blair allegedly tried to open an exit door during the flight, punched one airline employee and struck another. She is separately accused of assaulting a police officer and a nurse after the plane landed.

Charging documents filed in Queens allege that, as she was secured to a stretcher on the way to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, Blair freed one leg from the straps and kicked the officer 'repeatedly around the face, neck and chest'. A nurse later reported being kicked in the chest as Blair was moved.

The FBI said Port Authority police had told it of a 'potential assault' on a flight that arrived at JFK. A source told the Associated Press the agency had issued Blair a summons.

Court Hearing and Blair's Reported Medical Emergency

Blair was arraigned in a Queens court on Monday 12 October. A judge set bail at $20,000 (€18,600 and £15,700) in cash or a $60,000 (€55,800 and £47,100) bond. Her next court date is in January.

Her lawyer, Shawn Barnes, told the court her actions were not intentional. He said she had missed several doses of 'a powerful medication that controls severe neurological symptoms' before boarding, and had hit her head mid-flight, leaving her in 'a state of severe confusion and disorientation.' These claims have not been independently verified.

Her representatives have said the alleged behaviour was the result of a medical emergency linked to her multiple sclerosis. Blair revealed in 2018 that she had been diagnosed with the condition.

Neither police nor hospital staff have commented beyond the charging documents, and the Port Authority has declined to comment while the case is active.

The apology prompted a divided response online, with some urging compassion because of her condition and others pointing to the seriousness of the allegations.