Bill Maher took a swipe at Selma Blair while commenting on the FAA’s nationwide ground stop Friday, jokingly suggesting that the actress could be responsible for the travel delay.
“People, calm down, because you may not get home,” Maher started off Friday evening’s monologue for HBO’s “Real Time.” “[We had] actually breaking news, because it’s Friday. Did you see? They grounded all the planes in America. All the planes. So, hope you’re staying for the weekend.”
As Maher went on, he expressed doubt over the Trump administration’s reassurance that the ground stop was not due to anything “nefarious.” Here’s where he brought the actress, best known for “Legally Blonde” and “Cruel Intentions,” into the mix.
“I don’t believe them,” Maher told his studio audience. “I mean, this could be a hack from China. Could be a hack from Iran. Could be a hack from AI itself. Could be Selma Blair. We just don’t know.”
This jab prompted a big reaction from the “Real Time” crowd, as taping attendees broke out into loud laughter and applause – drowning Maher out at one point.
Maher, of course, was referring to Blair’s October arrest, which occurred after she allegedly assaulted several people both during and after a Delta Air Lines flight.
Following the incident at John F. Kennedy Airport, Blair was hospitalized and later charged with second-degree assault. She posted a $20,000 bail after appearing in Queens Criminal Court.
Blair later issued an apology video, noting, “What I can tell you, though, is very simple, and the truest thing I know about myself, and 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, I frightened, alarmed: I am so sorry.”
The actress, who was diagnosed with MS back in 2018, was similarly removed from an international flight from Cancun in 2016 after causing a disturbance mid-air.
“I made a big mistake yesterday. After a lovely trip with my son and his Dad, I mixed alcohol with medication, and that caused me to black out and led me to say and do things that I deeply regret,” she explained at the time. “I take this very seriously, and I apologize to all of the passengers and crew that I disturbed and am thankful to all of the people who helped me in the aftermath. I am a flawed human being who makes mistakes and am filled with shame over this incident. I am truly very sorry.”
A representative for Blair did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment about Maher’s monologue.
“Real Time With Bill Maher” airs new episodes Fridays at 10 p.m. ET on HBO.
