Ellen Pompeo may have played a doctor for nearly two decades, but even “Grey’s Anatomy”’s Meredith Grey isn’t immune to TSA chaos. The actress shared a travel story so unexpected, it sounds like something straight out of a sitcom. While prepping for a routine flight back in March, Pompeo was flagged at airport security over what she thought was a harmless in-flight snack: sunflower seeds.
In an interview with Travel + Leisure, she said, “I had a bag of sunflower seeds, like organic sunflower seeds from Erewhon, probably the most expensive sunflower seeds money can buy,” Pompeo recalled. But those fancy snacks quickly turned into a travel nightmare. According to the TV star, security pulled her aside and held her for nearly an hour. They even called in the bomb squad to investigate the unopened bag.
“I was like, what is happening? Is this a joke?” Pompeo said, explaining that TSA told her there may have been a chemical on the packaging that triggered the alarm. “They said it was most likely something on the packaging of these super expensive, fancy, organic, clean sunflower seeds. My protein on the plane!”
While she offered to toss the bag and move on, officials insisted she stay until the issue was fully investigated. “I almost missed the flight,” she added. “I was texting my publicist saying, ‘I might not get on this plane, and you’re never gonna guess why.’”
Still, the actress, who is known for her down-to-earth personality, kept her cool, joking about how surreal the situation felt. Aside from that wild encounter, her carry-on essentials are as relatable as it gets. “Mints, glasses, water, hand sanitizer, and baby wipes,” she shared. “I have to do the Naomi Campbell thing and wipe down the entire seat.”
Ellen Pompeo Says She’s Not Leaving ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Completely
Even as Pompeo travels and takes on new roles outside of Seattle Grace, she isn’t ready to completely walk away from the series that changed her life. In a separate interview with Culture, she opened up about why she continues to stay involved in “Grey’s Anatomy.” Despite her reduced on-screen appearances, she explained that her connection to the show still runs deep. “That would make no sense, emotionally or financially,” she said. “The show was streamed more than a billion times in 2024. More than a billion times.”
Pompeo noted that the companies benefiting from her image and years of work are still making significant profits. She believes it’s only fair that she remains connected to the show as part of that ongoing success. “If I were to walk away completely, everybody gets to make money from my hard work for 20 years and I wouldn’t make any money,” she explained. “To me, it doesn’t make any sense that everybody [else] gets to profit off of my hard work.”
But beyond the business side, Pompeo still holds deep emotional ties to the show. “The show means a lot to people,” she said. “I want to have an attitude of gratitude toward the show.”
