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Ellen Pompeo Runs Afoul Of The TSA Thanks To Fancy Sunflower Seeds

By Anthony Yates
June 3, 2025
Ellen Pompeo Runs Afoul Of The TSA Thanks To Fancy Sunflower Seeds
Image: Shutterstock

Ellen Pompeo is a household name thanks to her longstanding role as Dr. Meredith Grey in the phenomenally successful Grey’s Anatomy. Pompeo may be a medical drama superstar, but her recent clash with the TSA is enough to put off any nervous flier.

Pompeo revealed an unusual airport event that occurred back in March, which even prompted the Bomb Squad to show up. In an interview with Travel and Leisure, the actress describes that she brings the “usual stuff” when she travels. “Mints, glasses, water, hand sanitizer, and baby wipes. I have to do the Naomi Campbell thing and wipe down the entire seat,” she explained.

However, one seemingly harmless bag of snacks prompted a response Pompeo never expected. She reportedly triggered alarms while walking through TSA for a bag of sunflower seeds. Pompeo told the outlet, “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 explained. “They literally held me for an hour, and they brought the bomb squad in. And I was like, what is happening? Is this a joke? 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 Offered To Throw The Sunflower Seeds Away

Rather than make a fuss, the Grey’s Anatomy star offered to throw the seeds away, but authorities told her the bomb squad needed to assess the unopened bag of natural snacks. Pompeo said, “I almost missed the flight. It was really like no one would ever believe this! I was texting my publicist saying, ‘I might not get on this plane, and you’re never gonna guess why.”

Despite the travel scare, Pompeo told Travel and Leisure that she does love to travel. She also says that she has a morning ritual at home of a sauna followed by a cold plunge, something which she tries to emulate at hotels. “Cold plunges are a relatively, you know, sort of bougie, new thing. I think most of these older hotels don’t have it, but a cold shower, I think, does the same,” she explains.

Pompeo admitted to the outlet that she is a nervous flier. Regardless, her favorite thing about travel is the time spent with her husband and three daughters.

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