Selma Blair speaks out after flight arrest: 'There is much more'

Selma Blair has broken her silence on her arrest through a lengthy statement from her representative, who says there is “much more to this story than has been reported”. 

The statement, shared with PEOPLE on Friday, says the public account of what happened on the flight to New York has been built almost entirely on a police statement and a decade-old incident.

The representative says Blair experienced a medical emergency on the flight and that there was “no attempt to open the door of the aircraft”.

Read more: Selma Blair's ‘frustrating' personality reflected after midair altercation

Early reports from TMZ alleged she tried to open the door. 

“Selma did not intend to harm anyone,” the statement says, adding that she had never been arrested before Sunday night. 

It thanks a handful of journalists for reporting on Blair “as a human being rather than a headline” and asks people to consider the entirety of the facts before rushing to judgment, “whether in the courtroom or in the court of public opinion”. 

The rep also points to her acting work and her advocacy for disability rights and the Jewish community.

Blair, 54, was arrested after Delta Flight 938 landed at JFK on 11 October. Two flight attendants reported injuries, and one went to hospital. 

She pleaded not guilty on Monday to two counts of second-degree assault, for allegedly kicking a police officer and a nurse after the flight, and was released on bail. 

A federal summons over the flight itself has also been reported. 

Her attorney, Shawn Barnes, said in court that she boarded after extensive hours on set, fell and hit her head, and missed doses of a powerful medication that controls severe neurological symptoms. 

She is due back in court on 19 January. Blair was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2018.

Earlier on the day of the flight, Blair replied to a fan’s Instagram comment saying she seemed to be doing great. 

“I’m sad. I’m grateful. I hope. I am not great,” she wrote, according to TMZ.

Read more: Selma Blair's legal team breaks silence after flight chaos: 'Severe confusion'