Selma Blair is breaking her silence after her assault arrest following a Delta flight earlier this month.
The actress, 54, shared a video to Instagram Friday, Oct. 30, addressing the alleged violent incident that resulted in her being charged with two counts of felony second-degree assault.
"Hi, it's me. I know I've been quiet for a couple weeks since Oct. 11, and you deserve to hear from me directly, and I'm sorry that it's taken this long," Blair began. "There is a legal matter going on, and my lawyers have asked me to not say anything about that day, and I'm listening to them. And I take this very seriously."
She continued, "What I can tell you, though, is very simple and the truest thing I know about myself, in that not one day ever have I intended
to hurt or frighten anyone a day in my life. And so, to the people that I disappointed, that I hurt, that I frightened, alarmed, I am so sorry."
What happened during Selma Blair's plane incident?
Around 11 p.m. on Oct. 11, police responded to Delta Flight 938, which had just arrived at its gate in New York at John F. Kennedy International Airport from Los Angeles, according to a statement provided to USA TODAY by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Dispatch audio obtained by TMZ revealed paramedics were called for one flight attendant and one passenger for injuries including a bloody nose and bite marks, as well as for Blair, who "bashed her head on the bulkhead."
One flight attendant was taken to a hospital, and Blair was also hospitalized for evaluation, Port Authority told USA TODAY. While being secured on a stretcher to transport her from the terminal to an ambulance, the "Cruel Intentions" star allegedly kicked Port Authority Police Department Officer Maria Suarez repeatedly in the face, neck and chest, according to the criminal complaint.
Suarez said she required hospital treatment due to the "substantial" pain and swelling. A registered nurse involved in Blair's transport alleged the actress also kicked her in the chest and caused "substantial" pain.
The next day, Blair was charged with two counts of felony second-degree assault in New York's Queens Criminal Court, to which she pleaded not guilty and was released after posting $20,000 bail.
"To the people that have written, or called, or sent wishes of love or caring, it has meant everything to me and my son, who is my world, as is Scout who is also okay," Blair said in her video, referring to the dog that was on the plane with her at the time of the incident. "Right now, I'm going to be taking care of my health and my son, and thinking of you all with gratitude and love."
CNN reported Blair's attorney, Shawn Barnes, told the court she had worked long hours, missed medication doses and fallen and hit her head aboard the plane. Fritzo told USA TODAY at the time that Blair "experienced a medical emergency that led to the alleged conduct" and received immediate medical attention and was in stable condition.
What is Selma Blair's medical condition?
Blair was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in August 2018 and announced the news in an Oct. 20, 2018 Instagram post, writing, "I am disabled. I fall sometimes. I drop things. My memory is foggy. And my left side is asking for directions from a broken gps. But we are doing it." She has been an advocate for the disease since, and said she is in remission in recent years.In her Oct. 16 statement, Fritzo said, "The suggestion by anyone, that Selma does not have multiple sclerosis is outrageous. Her diagnosis has been public since 2018. What Selma has been able to do physically in the years since is nothing short of a miracle. She still has bad days, and she lives with pain daily."
According to the Mayo Clinic, multiple sclerosis occurs when "the immune system attacks the protective sheath that covers nerve fibers, known as myelin," which "interrupts communication between the brain and the rest of the body." There is no cure, although there are treatments to manage symptoms, which can include numbness or tingling, lack of coordination and difficulty walking.
"Selma also has pseudobulbar affect, a neurological condition secondary to her MS, which bears directly on how a medical episode presents to people who do not know her. For the same reason, she travels with a service dog who doesn’t leave her side, and the authorities took her dog from her," Fritzo added.
A Pseudobulbar affect is described by the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America as "a neurological condition that is characterized by sudden, uncontrollable expressions of laughter or crying. This type of emotional behavior is difficult to control voluntarily and can be extremely distressing to those who experience it."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Selma Blair breaks silence after Delta plane assault arrest: 'I am so sorry'
