Selma Blair faces two new assault charges after allegedly kicking a police officer and a nurse following a medical emergency on a Delta flight from Los Angeles to New York.
The 54-year-old actress was arrested late Sunday after allegedly attacking flight attendants aboard the plane. The FBI issued a federal summons accusing her of assault within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the US. The New York Port Authority reported two flight attendants suffered injuries, with one requiring hospital treatment.
Audio recorded on air traffic control captured the pilot requesting medical help, describing “a bloody nose” and “some bite marks.” Upon landing in New York, airport officials responded to reports of “a physically abusive passenger.” Blair was taken off the plane, arrested, and transported to a hospital.
The additional assault charges were filed in state court after the incident on the flight. Prosecutors allege Blair kicked a police officer while being transported in an ambulance and later assaulted a nurse at the hospital.
Blair’s attorney, Shawn Barnes, appeared in Queens court on Monday. He asked the judge to consider her “body of work” and described Blair as “the gold standard.” Barnes said violence “is not who she is” and appealed for leniency.
The judge rejected the request, stating Blair “should not get special treatment…because she is a celebrity.” Bail was set at $20,000 cash or $60,000 bond. Her next court hearing is scheduled for 19 January. The date for the federal case, concerning the assault allegations on the aircraft, remains unknown.
Blair pleaded not guilty to the charges. Her representatives told the BBC she had “experienced a medical emergency that led to the alleged conduct.”
She is best known for roles in films including Legally Blonde, Cruel Intentions, and Hellboy. The incident has drawn attention not only because of her celebrity but due to the nature of the charges spanning federal and state jurisdictions.
The case will continue to unfold as the legal process moves forward.
According to Joy Online.
