Grey’s Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo detained by ‘bomb squad’ after trying to take item on plane

In her on-screen life as Grey’s Anatomy’s main heroine Meredith, Ellen Pompeo is used to TV-worthy drama and shocking storylines - but she wasn’t expecting her real life to turn into a scene from a soap opera earlier this year.

The actress, 55, has revealed she was detained by the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) at an airport in March because of an item she tried to take on a plane.

She was held for a whole hour and the bomb squad was even brought in to investigate the situation.

Ellen almost missed her flight and for a moment, contemplated whether the bizarre situation could be actually a ‘joke’ or elaborate prank.

But lo and behold, it was real, and the actress now has a hilarious story to tell that she thought her publicist ‘wouldn’t believe’.

Ellen Pompeo should now be an expert in the rules of plane snacking, and won't be making the mistake again (Amanda Edwards/Getty Images for SAG-AFTRA)

So, you ask, what was the mysterious item in question?

It was a bag of sunflower seeds from Erewhon, the actress revealed in a new interview with Travel + Leisure.

And if you haven't heard of Erewhon, it's a very fancy and upscale American supermarket chain - think WholeFoods or Harrods Food Hall if you're from the UK.

She told the publication: “​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.

“They literally held me for an hour, and they brought the bomb squad in.”

Ellen continued: “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!”

The actress rose to fame as Meredith Grey on Grey's Anatomy - a role she has held since the show's debut in 2005 (Scott Garfield/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)

She offered to just throw the bag away and accept the loss but the TSA insisted she had to stay and wait for the bomb squad to assess the snack.

“I almost missed the flight. It was really like no one would ever believe this!,” she exclaimed.

Adding: "I was texting my publicist saying, 'I might not get on this plane, and you're never gonna guess why'."

Despite the unbelievable debacle, at least now the star knows exactly which snack to leave at home next time, ‘plane protein’ aside.

In the interview, she revealed her other in-flight essentials - and it seems that some celebs aren’t actually too different from the rest of it when it comes to travel habits.

The fancy sunflower seeds were from the upscale American supermarket Erewhon (Getty Stock Images)

Her must-have list simply includes mints, glasses, water, hand sanitizer, and baby wipes.

But, Ellen did point out that she has to ‘wipe down the entire seat’ before getting comfy and jetting off.

In her professional life, the actress remains the longest-serving cast member of Grey's Anatomy which is still going strong after 21 seasons.

She ultimately left the show during the 19th season, which aired in February 2023, although the actor has since returned for regular appearances and voiceovers.