Selma Blair Arrest: Her Apology, the Charges and Her Plea

Selma Blair is in the news because the actor posted a video apology on Friday, October 30, 2026, her first public comments since her arrest at New York's JFK Airport on October 11 after a Delta flight from Los Angeles. She has pleaded not guilty to two state counts of second-degree assault, and her representatives say she had a medical emergency and did not intend to harm anyone.

As of October 31, 2026, none of the allegations has been proven in court, and Blair, 54, is presumed innocent. Her next scheduled date in the Queens case is January 19, 2027, according to the Queens District Attorney's office, as reported by NBC News.

Why Selma Blair is in the news

Blair, known for Cruel Intentions (1999), Legally Blonde (2001) and Hellboy (2004), shared the video on Instagram on Friday, US time, almost three weeks after the arrest, ABC News reported. NBC News described it as her first public comment on the case; until then, her lawyers and spokesperson had spoken for her.

What Selma Blair said in her video

Blair appeared to fight back tears, InStyle reported. She began: "I know I've been quiet for a couple weeks since October 11th, and you deserve to hear from me directly."

She said her lawyers had asked her "not to say anything about that day," but added, "I take this very seriously." The central lines, as quoted by NBC News and ABC News, were:

• "To the people that I disappointed, that I hurt, that I frightened, alarmed, I am so sorry."
• The truest thing she knows about herself, she said, is that "not one day ever have I intended to hurt or frighten anyone a day in my life."
• She said her son "is my world," as is her service dog, Scout, "who is also OK."

She ended by saying she would be "taking care of my health and my son." She did not describe the events of October 11 or discuss the charges.

The charges and her not-guilty plea

Blair was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on the evening of Monday, October 12, and pleaded not guilty, CBS New York and the Associated Press reported. According to ABC News, the criminal complaint charges her with two counts of assault in the second degree under New York Penal Law 120.05(3).

That subsection covers causing physical injury to certain workers, including police officers and registered nurses, with intent to stop them from carrying out a lawful duty. It is a class D felony.

A prosecutor said the Queens charges cover only two alleged incidents after she was taken off the plane, not anything on board, and that a conviction on the most serious count carries two to seven years in custody, NBC News reported.

Bail was set at $20,000 cash, a $60,000 bond or a $60,000 partially secured bond, and she was released, ABC News and People reported. People also reported that the judge issued an order of protection for the nurse.

What police and the charging papers allege

These points come from police, the criminal complaint and officials. None has been tested in court.

• The call to the gate. Port Authority police responded at about 11 p.m. on Sunday, October 11, to a report of a "physically abusive passenger" on Delta flight 938, parked at a JFK gate, ABC7 New York and Fox News reported. Blair was detained and taken to a hospital for evaluation.
• The flight attendants. Port Authority police said two flight attendants reported injuries and one went to a hospital for evaluation, according to NBC News and CBS New York. The Queens charges do not cover them.
• The officer. The complaint says that as Blair was moved by stretcher to an ambulance at about 11:50 p.m., she freed a leg from the straps and kicked a Port Authority officer repeatedly in the face, neck and chest; the officer reported swelling and pain, AP and ABC News reported.
• The nurse. The complaint says Blair kicked a registered nurse in the chest at about 2 a.m. on October 12 at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, while the nurse was helping move her for more treatment; the nurse reported "substantial pain," according to AP and People.

Before landing, the pilot radioed for medical staff at the gate, describing a bloody nose and bite marks but saying an ambulance did not seem necessary, AP and ABC News reported from air traffic control audio. He said the passenger appeared to have hit her head on the bulkhead. The audio, as reported, does not say how the injuries happened.

Delta said it "has zero tolerance for unruly or unlawful behavior, as the safety of our customers and crew always comes first." The FBI and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating, ABC7 New York reported.

What her spokesperson and lawyers say

Before the arraignment, Blair's representative said: "Selma experienced a medical emergency that led to the alleged conduct." The representative added that she got immediate medical attention on landing and was stable, ABC7 New York and NBC News reported.

In court, attorney Shawn Barnes said, "We do not believe, your honor, that this is an intentional assault," according to NBC News, citing pool video. Her lawyers told the court she has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and Parkinsonism, and Barnes said she had missed several doses of medication before flying and fell and hit her head on the plane.

Barnes also said she boarded after long working days and had missed doses of "a powerful medication that controls severe neurological symptoms," which, with the altitude, caused "a state of severe confusion and disorientation," according to AP, citing the New York Daily News and New York Post. Her lawyers told the court this was her first arrest, ABC News reported.

On October 16, her spokesperson released a longer statement, reported by CBS New York and TheWrap. It said "Selma Blair experienced a medical emergency on the flight" and "Selma did not intend to harm anyone." It also said:

• Coverage had relied on "a police statement and a decade-old headline."
• Her MS diagnosis has been public since 2018, and any suggestion that she does not have MS is "outrageous."
• She also has pseudobulbar affect, which the statement described as a neurological condition secondary to her MS, and which it said "bears directly on how a medical episode presents to people who do not know her."
• Authorities took her service dog; CBS New York reported the dog is now with her attorney.
• She had never been arrested before that Sunday night, and people should "consider the entirety of the facts before rushing to judgment."

Possible federal charges: what has been reported

The in-flight events are a separate federal matter, known so far only through unnamed sources. AP, ABC News and CBS New York each reported, citing an unnamed source, that the FBI gave Blair a violation notice, or summons, on October 12 for "assaults within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States."

Those reports said the notice is answerable in the petty violations court at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, with no appearance date set; ABC News said the same on October 30. The FBI has not publicly confirmed the notice. It said only that Port Authority police had reported "a potential assault aboard a flight that arrived into JFK," and that it does not comment on ongoing investigations, AP reported.

What happens next in the Selma Blair case

• January 19, 2027: the next scheduled date in the Queens case, according to the DA's office.
• The federal notice: no appearance date reported as of October 30, 2026.
• Investigations: the FBI and the FAA have not announced any findings.

A not-guilty plea means the case goes on, and prosecutors must prove each charge beyond a reasonable doubt. This is general information, not legal advice.

Our take

The official record is narrower than much of the coverage. The Queens charges rest on two alleged kicks after the flight, while events on board are described mainly by a Port Authority statement, a pilot's radio call and unnamed sources; some widely shared claims come from a single outlet only.

Blair's side says a medical emergency lay behind what happened, and her video apologizes without addressing the charges. Until a court rules, both accounts remain claims, and new details without an official source deserve caution.

Frequently asked questions

Why is Selma Blair trending?

On October 30, 2026, Selma Blair posted an Instagram video apologizing to anyone she disappointed, hurt or frightened. It was her first public comment since her October 11 arrest at JFK Airport after a Delta flight from Los Angeles. She said her lawyers had advised her not to discuss that day.

What is Selma Blair charged with?

A Queens criminal complaint charges her with two counts of second-degree assault under New York Penal Law 120.05(3), a class D felony. A prosecutor said the counts relate only to an alleged kick to a Port Authority officer and an alleged kick to a hospital nurse after the flight. The allegations are unproven.

Did Selma Blair plead guilty?

No. She pleaded not guilty at her arraignment in Queens Criminal Court on October 12, 2026, and was released on bail. Her representative says she had a medical emergency, and her attorney told the court he did not believe it was an intentional assault.

Is Selma Blair facing federal charges?

AP, ABC News and CBS New York, each citing an unnamed source, reported that the FBI issued her a federal violation notice for assaults within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States. The FBI has not confirmed it, and no federal court date had been reported as of October 30, 2026.

When is Selma Blair's next court date?

Her next scheduled date in the Queens case is January 19, 2027, according to the Queens District Attorney's office, as reported by NBC News and ABC News. Court dates can change, so check later reporting before that date.

Sources

1. Selma Blair apologizes to the 'people that I disappointed' after plane incident arrest, NBC News
2. Selma Blair accused of kicking officer and nurse after being physically abusive on flight, NBC News
3. Selma Blair apologizes in video weeks after arrest: 'I take this very seriously', ABC News
4. Selma Blair released on bond following alleged altercation aboard Delta flight, bail set at $20K, ABC News
5. Selma Blair faces potential federal charges: What's next for the actress after arrest, ABC News
6. Selma Blair arraigned after alleged altercation on Delta flight, bail set at $20K, ABC7 New York
7. Actor Selma Blair arraigned after allegedly biting flight attendant, kicking officer, assaulting nurse, CBS New York
8. AP source: FBI issues actor Selma Blair a summons accusing her of assaults on a plane, Associated Press (via PBS News)
9. Selma Blair accused of attacking 2 flight attendants and assaulting a police officer and nurse, Associated Press (via Boston.com)
10. Selma Blair Charged with 2 Counts of Assault After Allegedly Kicking Nurse in 'Chest' and Cop 'Repeatedly', People (via Yahoo)
11. Selma Blair Tears Up as She Directly Addresses Arrest on Assault Charges for the First Time, InStyle (via Yahoo)
12. Selma Blair Apologizes to People She 'Hurt or Frightened' After Plane Incident and Arrest, TheWrap
13. Selma Blair arrested after in-flight incident, Fox News
14. New York Penal Law Section 120.05: Assault in the second degree, New York State Senate

How we wrote this

GessyMorgan explainers are built from public reporting and official sources. This post draws on the 14 sources listed above, each linked where we use it. It was drafted with AI assistance and checked against those sources before publishing. We did not test products, attend events or interview anyone for this article. Facts are current as of October 31, 2026, and we update the post when they change.