A crew member on a Delta Air Lines flight between Los Angeles and John F. Kennedy International Airport told authorities that actress Selma Blair had bitten her during the trip, leading to Blair's detention after the plane landed Sunday. Port Authority Police reported that two cabin crew members sustained injuries during the incident, with one requiring a hospital visit.
Two crew members suffered injuries — one from a bite, the other from a cut — according to a law enforcement source. Blair's attorney told reporters that a health episode unfolded during the flight, though no further details were provided.
The incident occurred aboard Delta Air Lines Flight 938 as the clock neared 11 p.m. According to a law enforcement source, cabin personnel physically intervened to bring Blair under control.
Recordings of air traffic control communications captured the pilot requesting that medical staff meet the aircraft at the gate, noting that a passenger had sustained a nosebleed and bite marks — injuries the pilot described as not requiring an ambulance — while also flagging that the individual who had caused the disruption appeared to have struck her head against a bulkhead, meaning she would likely need to be evaluated by medical personnel in addition to law enforcement. Port Authority Police and the FBI subsequently responded to the aircraft.
FBI agents stated they had opened a review into what was described as a possible physical altercation aboard the aircraft. Following the incident, Blair — who is 54 years old — was taken to Jamaica Hospital, where staff carried out a medical evaluation.
According to a source, Blair struck a Port Authority Police Department officer during transport in the ambulance and physically confronted a nurse upon arrival at the hospital. According to a source within the district attorney's office, Blair had been discharged from hospital care and transferred to Queens Central Booking, where arraignment proceedings on two assault counts were set to begin.
Potential state-level charges tied to the reported incidents inside the ambulance and at the hospital remain part of the picture. A law enforcement source indicated that federal agents delivered a summons to Blair on assault charges falling under the jurisdiction covering special maritime and territorial areas of the United States.
A service animal accompanying Blair is now held by her legal representative. Her attorney noted that a medical episode preceded the conduct in question, and that medical care was provided to Blair as soon as the aircraft touched down. Her condition has since stabilised, the attorney said. No details about the nature of the medical situation were offered.
During a 2025 broadcast interview, Blair spoke about the obstacles she encountered while travelling. Her 2022 memoir contains a chapter titled "Bite Me," in which she described incidents of biting fellow celebrities during periods of drinking. Delta Air Lines, in a separately issued statement, outlined a policy of zero tolerance toward disruptive or unlawful conduct aboard its flights, citing passenger and crew safety as the governing priority.
Blair's screen credits span projects including "Cruel Intentions," "Legally Blonde," and "Hellboy," across multiple genres. She appeared in a 2022 run on "Dancing with the Stars" and has spoken publicly about living with multiple sclerosis.