Ellen Pompeo’s Snack Sparks Bomb Scare At Airport

Ellen Pompeo simply proved that even a Hollywood A-lister is not resistant to journey drama, particularly when snacks are concerned.

The “Grey’s Anatomy” star not too long ago recalled how she discovered herself caught in an sudden airport state of affairs that had TSA brokers on excessive alert.

What was speculated to be a routine safety examine was a scene straight out of a suspense drama after her sunflower seeds, bought from the upscale grocery retailer Erewhon, triggered a safety alarm, prompting the bomb squad to reach.

In March 2025, Pompeo discovered herself briefly detained after a bag of natural sunflower seeds she bought was flagged by TSA.

In a current chat with Travel + Leisure, the actress recalled the incident, noting that she was held for about an hour.

“I had a bag of sunflower seeds, like natural sunflower seeds from Erewhon, in order that they had been in all probability the most costly sunflower seeds cash should purchase,” she mentioned. “They actually held me for an hour, and so they introduced the bomb squad in.”

Pompeo recalled being puzzled and asking what was occurring, to which the officers responded, revealing that “it was almost definitely a chemical on the packaging of those tremendous costly, fancy, natural, clear sunflower seeds” that triggered the search.

The 55-year-old did not need any hassle and simply needed to proceed with the safety and boarding course of, so she supplied to eliminate the bag.

Nevertheless, the officers insisted that she anticipate the bomb squad’s arrival to substantiate the bag’s contents.

The ordeal lasted for some time, inflicting Pompeo to just about miss her flight. “I nearly missed the flight. It was actually like nobody would ever imagine this! I used to be texting my publicist saying, ‘I won’t get on this aircraft, and also you’re by no means gonna guess why,'” she defined.

Regardless of the fiasco, Pompeo advised the outlet that she nonetheless likes to journey and sometimes packs her on-flight requirements which embody, “mint, glasses, water, hand sanitizer, and child wipes.”

She added, “I’ve to do the Naomi Campbell factor and wipe down your entire seat.

Though Pompeo likes to journey, she is not all the time essentially the most relaxed flyer.

In the course of the chat, she described herself as a nervous flyer and had beforehand admitted to being very cautious at any time when she needed to journey by air.

The “Catch Me If You Can” actress revealed that one in all her air journey fears was turbulence.

In accordance with her, regardless that pilots had been doing a greater job of chatting with passengers about anticipated turbulence, she most popular to have her household, together with her three children, Stella Luna, Sienna Might, and Eli Christopher, whom she shares along with her husband, Chris Ivery, as her essential type of help.

“I like to carry my children’ fingers after I take off, which might be a bit of egocentric, and so they’re in all probability feeling my anxiousness, which in all probability is not the very best factor to do,” she mentioned.

Ellen Pompeo could also be nervous within the air, however she is happier when she arrives at her vacation spot along with her household.

“I like any type of journey so long as my children are with me. I get a bit of bit anxious after I journey for work with out my children, however after we’re all collectively, we attempt to do all of it and provides them combine [of types of trips],” she mentioned.

The Individuals’s Alternative Award winner mentioned she felt privileged to journey along with her children, and as such, she all the time made some extent of exhibiting them how grateful she was.

“If you happen to’re fortunate sufficient to have the chance to journey with children, it is the very best schooling there may be, as a result of I do not know who’s utilizing algebra of their day by day lives,” the mother of three shared.