Actress Selma Blair missed multiple doses of a “powerful” medication and hit her head before a wild midair meltdown on Sunday night aboard a JFK-bound flight, her lawyers claimed.
The “Cruel Intentions” star was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on Monday evening on two assault charges for allegedly repeatedly kicking a cop in the head and attacking a nurse as she was taken to a hospital after the violent outburst on a Delta Airlines plane.
“This was not an intentional assault,” Blair’s attorney, Shawn Barnes, said at the actress’ arraignment, addressing allegations she slugged one flight attendant and bit another.
“Ms. Blair missed several doses of … a powerful medication that controls severe neurological symptoms,” Barnes said, adding his client suffers from multiple sclerosis.
The defense attorney said Blair hopped on the flight from Los Angeles after a heavy workload.
“Ms. Blair boarded this flight after being on set and working extensive hours and exhaustive hours in the days leading up to this flight,” he added. “Additionally, at one point, during the flight, there was an incident where Miss Blair actually fell and hit her head,” Barnes said.
“These factors, coupled with the altitude, resulted in a state of severe confusion and disorientation,” Barnes said.
Judge Indira Kahn set Blair’s bail at $20,000 cash and $60,000 bond during the hearing. The actress was also ordered to keep her cuffs on in the courtroom despite her lawyers’ request.
Her other defense attorney, Joshua Reitzas, wiped away her tears when she first walked into the courtroom with a gray sweater tied around her neck.
“Consider her body of work and what she’s done for people,” Reitzas told Kahn. “This is someone we should look up to.”
“She is the gold standard,” Reitzas said.
“Ms. Blair should not get special treatment because she is a celebrity,” Judge Kahn clapped back.
The actress posted the cash bail and was tight-lipped as she limped out of court.
She was also ordered to stay away from the nurse she allegedly forcefully kicked in the chest after she broke out of her restraints en route to the Jamaica Hospital during the hearing.
Blair allegedly removed her leg from stretcher straps and repeatedly kicked a Port Authority Police Officer in the face, neck and chest as she was being hauled away in an ambulance from JFK Airport Terminal 4 on Sunday night, according to her criminal complaint.
She then kicked a registered nurse at Jamaica Hospital in the chest while she was transporting Blair for more medical treatment, the complaint alleged.
The officer suffered swelling to her jaw and substantial pain to her face, neck and chest. The nurse also suffered substantial pain to her chest in the beatdown, prosecutors said.
Before touching down in the Big Apple, Blair flew off the handle, allegedly slugging one flight attendant and biting a second.
The two crew members were seriously injured, and one had to be hospitalized, police said.
One of them was bitten on the hand, while the other suffered a cut, sources said.
Blair was caught on a recording obtained by TMZ screaming maniacally, “Please stop! No, no! Please don’t! Let me go!” as she was dragged off the plane.
Blair, whose film credits also include “Legally Blonde” and “Hellboy,” is also set to be hit with at least one federal violation for “assault committed within special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States,’’ sources said.
The crime is not a felony but carries a potential sentence of up to a year behind bars.
The actress faces two to seven years behind bars if convicted of the two state-level assault charges.
She is slated to return to court on Jan. 19.
