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

The “Gray’s Anatomy” star just lately recalled how she discovered herself caught in an surprising airport scenario that had TSA brokers on excessive alert.

What was presupposed to be a routine safety examine changed into 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 quickly detained after a bag of natural sunflower seeds she bought was flagged by TSA.

In a current chat with Journey + 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, so that they had been in all probability the costliest sunflower seeds cash should buy,” 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 taking place, to which the officers responded, revealing that “it was most probably 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 bother and simply needed to proceed with the safety and boarding course of, so she provided to eliminate the bag.

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

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

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

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

Though Pompeo likes to journey, she is not at all times probably 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 among her air journey fears was turbulence.

In response to her, although pilots had been doing a greater job of talking to passengers about anticipated turbulence, she most popular to have her household, together with her three youngsters, Stella Luna, Sienna Could, and Eli Christopher, whom she shares together with her husband, Chris Ivery, as her predominant type of help.

“I like to carry my youngsters’ fingers once I take off, which might be somewhat egocentric, and so they’re in all probability feeling my anxiousness, which in all probability is not the most effective 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 together with her household.

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

The Individuals’s Selection Award winner mentioned she felt privileged to journey together with her youngsters, and as such, she at all times made some extent of displaying them how grateful she was.

“For those who’re fortunate sufficient to have the chance to journey with youngsters, it is the most effective schooling there may be, as a result of I do not know who’s utilizing algebra of their each day lives,” the mother of three shared.