Selma Blair was restrained by flight crew on a Delta flight from Los Angeles to New York on Sunday after becoming physically disruptive mid-air. According to reports, a pilot requested medical and law enforcement assistance at JFK after flight attendants suffered a bloody nose and bite marks. Blair was later accused of kicking a police officer and assaulting a nurse after the plane landed. On Monday, she pleaded not guilty to two counts of second-degree assault and faces two to seven years in prison if convicted.
Her attorney, Shawn Barnes, says the incident stemmed from missed multiple sclerosis medication, a head injury, and exhaustion from long work hours. Blair has been vocal about her MS diagnosis for years, which is part of why this story has hit so many people hard. Her on-again, off-again boyfriend Andy Kiernan posted on Instagram asking the public to pray for her and her 15-year-old son Arthur, writing that she“has a good heart”and“hasn’t yet got the help she needs.”
The reaction online has been split, and it raises a question with no easy answer: when a celebrity in crisis hurts people just doing their jobs, does the public owe them sympathy, accountability, or both? Where do you land on this one? Sound off in the comments.
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.