
New York, 13 October (H.S.):
Hollywood actress Selma Blair was taken into custody by police at John F. Kennedy International Airport after a Delta Air Lines flight from Los Angeles landed in New York. She has been accused of assaulting two flight attendants during the flight. Blair is also alleged to have assaulted a female police officer while being taken to hospital and a nurse at the hospital.
According to a CNBC report citing the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Blair was arrested at around 11 p.m. on Sunday night. In addition to the actress, one of the injured flight attendants was taken to hospital for medical evaluation. Reports allege that Blair bit the flight attendants during the incident. According to police, she also assaulted a female police officer while being transported to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. A nurse subsequently alleged that the actress assaulted her as well.
Two assault charges were filed against Blair in a Queens court late on Monday afternoon. The judge granted her bail, setting it at either $20,000 in cash or a $60,000 bond. Her next court hearing is scheduled for January 19. Delta Air Lines and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have not disclosed details of the incident.
The 54-year-old actress is known for her prominent roles in films such as Cruel Intentions, Legally Blonde and Hellboy.
Following the court's decision to grant bail, Blair's lawyers declined to speak to the media. According to sources, a dog was also accompanying the actress during the incident. Her lawyers visited her at the hospital and took the dog with them.
A representative for Blair said that she experienced a mental health episode during the flight, which allegedly contributed to the incident. In 2018, Blair publicly disclosed that she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a chronic disease affecting the central nervous system.
This was not the first such incident involving Blair. In 2016, she caused a disturbance aboard a flight from Cancun to Los Angeles. It was subsequently reported that she had become disoriented after consuming alcohol and medication. She later apologised for her behaviour.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar