Actress Ellen Pompeo (55) sparked a commotion at the airport due to a packet of sunflower seeds, which even led to the involvement of the bomb squad. She shared this incident during an interview with “Travel + Leisure.”
“Is this a joke?”
During the interview, the 55-year-old recounts a notable incident in March when she was held for an hour by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). This delay occurred because of an innocuous object in her personal belongings—a packet of sunflower seeds. “I had brought along a pack of organic sunflower seeds from Erewhon, which might be some of the priciest available,” says Pompeo. “It took them nearly an hour just to check these out, and they eventually summoned the bomb unit.”
Bewildered, she questioned the authorities, “What’s happening here? Is this some kind of prank?” Pompeo believes that a substance on the package of the “ultra-premium, luxurious, organic, pure sunflower seeds” set off the alert. In an attempt to expedite things, both the celebrity and the filmmaker proposed discarding the container. However, their suggestion was denied; she needed to await clearance from the explosive unit for the untouched packet. It was only after this verification that she could proceed with her trip.
Pompeo goes on to say, “I nearly didn’t make it onto my flight.” He adds with amusement, “Can you believe this? I messaged my public relations representative: ‘There’s a chance I won’t board this aircraft, and once you hear the reason, you’d never guess it!’”
Traveling similar to supermodel Naomi Campbell
Even after the incident, she continues to enjoy travel, as she revealed to the magazine. Nevertheless, she experiences some degree of flight anxiety. Her comfort comes from leaning on her trio of kids—Stella Luna (15), Sienna May (10), and Eli Christopher (8)—who are all together with their father, Chris Ivery. “During takeoff, I usually grip onto my children’s hands, perhaps out of self-interest, but this might make them aware of my apprehension, which certainly doesn’t help,” she admitted.
In her carry-on, she always packs “water, hand sanitizer, and baby wipes.” She prioritizes hygiene when traveling; she says, “I must do it just as Naomi Campbell does, wiping down the whole seat.” Considering the incidents she went through, she might avoid bringing sunflower seeds next time.
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