‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Star Ellen Pompeo Detained at Airport for Surprising Reason
Ellen Pompeo revealed that she was flagged at the airport—for carrying a fancy snack. Speaking with Travel & Leisure in a new interview, the Grey’s Anatomy star said she was stopped by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for attempting to bring organic Erewhon sunflower seeds on board a flight..
Pompeo, 55, revealed that she was detained over her snack choice. “They (TSA) literally held me for an hour, and they brought the bomb squad in. And I was like, what is happening? Is this a joke?” Pompeo said in May 2025. “They said it was most likely a chemical on the packaging of these super expensive, fancy, organic, clean sunflower seeds. My protein on the plane!”
Pompeo was required to wait for the bomb squad to evaluate the situation and noted that she nearly missed her flight over the ordeal. "It was really like no one would ever believe this!” she added. “I was texting my publicist saying, 'I might not get on this plane, and you're never gonna guess why.'”
Elsewhere in the interview, Pompeo admitted she is a nervous flyer and that she tries to lay low when she's on a plane so fans don’t recognize her. “People recognize my voice, so I try not to talk,” the ABC star said. “I try to use sign language with my kids. The minute I open my mouth, everybody turns.”
Pompeo has been playing Dr. Meredith Grey on Grey’s Anatomy since 2005. In 2019, she scaled back her role to focus on her family. She still serves as the primary narrator and appears on-camera in limited episodes.
In an April 2025 interview with El País, Pompeo explained, "I have three children and I love spending time with them and I love being involved in their lives. I'm very lucky to be able to get to work sometimes and take time off. I have a nice balance in my life."
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