Selma Blair apologizes in video weeks after arrest: 'I take this very seriously'

Headlines from ABC News Live
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October 30, 2026, 9:07 PM

Selma Blair is speaking out weeks after her arrest following an alleged altercation aboard a flight from Los Angeles to New York, issuing an apology and saying she takes the matter seriously. 

"I take this very seriously," she said in an Instagram video on Friday. "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."

The actress was arrested and charged with assault following an alleged incident on the Oct. 11 flight. She pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault and was released on bond.

In her Instagram video, Blair said that she has been "quiet for a couple weeks" and that her lawyers have asked her "not to say anything about that day."

Selma Blair attends Variety's 2026 Power of Women event in Beverly Hills, Calif., September 23, 2026.
Stewart Cook/AFP via Getty Images

She continued, "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 OK."

Scout is the name of Blair's service dog who was with her aboard the flight.

"So right now, I'm going to be taking care of my health and my son and thinking of you all with gratitude and love," she added.

On Oct. 11, the Port Authority Police Department said it responded to a call about "a physically abusive passenger" aboard Delta flight 938, which was parked at the gate after arriving from Los Angeles International Airport.

The passenger, identified as Blair, was taken into custody following the alleged incident and transported to a hospital, the Port Authority said.

Two flight attendants sustained injuries as a result of the alleged incident, with one being transported to the hospital for further evaluation, according to Port Authority officials.

Selma Blair leaves Queens Criminal Court following her arraignment after she was arrested on a Delta Air Lines flight from Los Angeles to New York, in New York, Oct. 12, 2026, in this still image taken from video.
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According to air traffic control audio, the pilots informed air traffic controllers ahead of landing that one person had a bloody nose and another person had bite marks and requested that medical personnel be waiting at the gate.

A criminal complaint filed later in Queens charged Blair with two counts of assault in the second degree under New York Penal Law 120.05(3) for alleged altercations with a Port Authority officer and a registered nurse.

A judge set bail for Blair at $20,000 cash, $60,000 bond or $60,000 partially secured bond. She was later released on bond and the case was adjourned to Jan. 19, 2027.

In addition to the assault charges, Blair was issued a violation notice alerting her that she is facing federal charges of assaults within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, a source familiar with the federal summons told ABC News at the time.

The summons is answerable to the petty violations court in Brooklyn federal court, the sources said. There was no appearance date.

Blair, who is known for films like "The Sweetest Thing," "Cruel Intentions," "Legally Blonde," and more, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2018. In 2021, she announced that she was in remission.

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