Selma Blair's arrest after an alleged confrontation aboard a New York-bound flight comes a decade after she apologized for a separate incident on a plane.
The 54-year-old actress was taken into custody following an Oct. 11 flight and transported to a hospital for evaluation.
Her publicist, Jill Fritzo, told USA TODAY that Blair experienced a medical emergency and was in stable condition. The FBI said it was notified of a potential assault aboard a flight arriving at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
TMZ reported Blair allegedly tried to open an aircraft door during the flight, punched one flight attendant and bit another.
The news follows Blair's recent remarks about backlash to her 2024 comments about extremism, and comes amid past controversies
around flights and alleged biting.
What happened during the Selma Blair flight?
Police responded around 11 p.m. to Delta Air Lines Flight 938, which had arrived at JFK from Los Angeles and was parked at a gate after arriving from LAX, according to a readout provided to USA TODAY by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Police identified Blair as the suspect. She was taken into custody and transported to the hospital for evaluation, the statement read.
Two flight attendants reported injuries, and one was also taken to a hospital, the readout said.
Blair was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a chronic, degenerative autoimmune disorder of the central nervous system, in 2018 and has been a vocal advocate in the years since.
"Selma experienced a medical emergency that led to the alleged conduct. Upon landing, she received immediate medical attention and is currently in stable condition," Fritzo said in a statement to USA TODAY.
The FBI told USA TODAY that Port Authority police had notified the agency about a "potential assault aboard a flight that arrived into JFK airport." It declined to provide further details, citing Justice Department policy on ongoing investigations.
Selma Blair apologized after a 2016 plane incident
Blair previously apologized for her behavior aboard a flight from Cancun, Mexico, to Los Angeles in June 2016. She was reportedly removed on a stretcher and hospitalized.
In a statement to Vanity Fair, Blair said mixing alcohol with medication caused her to black out. She apologized to passengers and crew and thanked those who helped her.
"I made a big mistake yesterday," she said. "After a lovely trip with my son and his Dad, I mixed alcohol with medication, and that caused me to black out and led me to say and do things that I deeply regret."
She concluded her statement by saying: "I am a flawed human being who makes mistakes and am filled with shame over this incident. I am truly very sorry."
Selma Blair faced backlash over extremism comments
In February 2024, Blair apologized for an Instagram comment widely criticized as Islamophobic.
The since-deleted comment said, "Islam has destroyed Muslim countries." She also called for the deportation of former U.S. Rep. Cori Bush and Rep. Rashida Tlaib.
In her apology, Blair said she had wrongly conflated Muslims with radical Islamists and fundamentalists and regretted hurting people.
"I apologize to those in the Muslim community who I offended with my words. I apologize to my friends. And I apologize to anyone I hurt. And I will do better," Blair said in her apology.
She revisited the controversy in an Oct. 1 speech at an Anti-Defamation League event at the Jewish Museum in New York, saying she lost professional representation, partnerships and friendships after the comment.
"While some friends in the business quietly stood by me, most of them were gone," she continued. "I still don't know what any of them were thinking. No one returned my calls. I know the phone stopped. Not rang less. Just stopped."
Selma Blair wrote about biting celebrities in memoir 'Mean Baby'
In her 2022 memoir, "Mean Baby: A Memoir of Growing Up," Blair described biting Sienna Miller, Seth MacFarlane and Kate Moss.
Blair recalled biting Miller's arm when they met at Los Angeles' Chateau Marmont in 2006. She wrote that she was immediately embarrassed by her behavior but that Miller did not shame her.
She also described biting MacFarlane's hand after becoming starstruck during their first meeting. In another encounter, she wrote, Moss initially laughed when Blair bit her finger but expressed pain when Blair did it again.
Blair connected those episodes to feeling overwhelmed during social interactions.
"My system gets overwhelmed and instantaneously short-circuits," she wrote.
Contributing: Liza Esquibias, Edward Segarra, KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Selma Blair involved in 2016 plane incident before recent flight arrest
