She may be one of the most famous faces on TV, but that counted for nothing as Grey’s Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo set off security alarms before a recent flight in the US.
The actor told Travel + Leisure she was singled out by guards for her seemingly innocuous snack.
“I had a bag of sunflower seeds, like organic sunflower seeds from Erewhon, so they were probably the most expensive sunflower seeds money can buy.”
She said she was held for an hour and “they brought the bomb squad in”.
“And I was like, what is happening? Is this a joke?” She said she “almost missed the flight”.
It appears the seeds likely had a chemical on the packaging which set off the alarms.
While the TSA doesn’t list sunflower seeds specifically on its food guidelines, it does mention the likes of coffee beans: “TSA officers may instruct travellers to separate items from carry-on bags such as foods, powders, and any materials that can clutter bags and obstruct clear images on the X-ray machine.
“Travellers are encouraged to organise their carry-on bags and keep them uncluttered to ease the screening process and keep the lines moving.”
Pompeo has been one of the highest-paid actors on TV for many years. She has starred as Meredith Grey on Grey’s Anatomy since 2005, although she has scaled back her appearances in recent seasons.
She recently starred in the series Good American Family which screens on Disney+ in New Zealand.
