Natasha Lyonne says she took sleeping pill before being escorted off flight, claims she was 'deta...
The actress added, “Never had a problem with @Delta or @TSA before.”
Natasha Lyonne says she took sleeping pill before being escorted off flight, claims she was ‘detained’ by ICE
The actress added, "Never had a problem with @Delta or @TSA before."
By Emlyn Travis
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Emlyn Travis
Emlyn Travis is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2022. Her work has previously appeared on MTV News, Teen Vogue, and NME.
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April 10, 2026 4:34 p.m. ET
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Natasha Lyonne in January 2026. Credit:
Chris DELMAS / AFP via Getty
Natasha Lyonne is shedding light on the circumstances that led to her being escorted off a recent flight to NYC and what happened after.
The *Poker Face *star seemed to confirm the reported incident in a social media post on Friday, explaining that she had taken a sleeping pill after sitting down on her red-eye flight back to the Big Apple.
She also claimed that she was "detained" by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after being removed from the aircraft.
"Indeed, I took a Lunesta once seated to ensure some shut eye on the Delta One red-eye flight to NYC," Lyonne wrote on X. "Boarded seamlessly with just a backpack and sneakers, eager for a nap. Plan was to be bushy-tailed & beauty rested, as I was meant to head straight to glam for a slot with our beloved @DrewBarrymore upon landing.”
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Natasha Lyonne at the Golden Globes on Jan. 11, 2026.
Monica Schipper/Getty
The actress, who had attended the *Euphoria* season 3 premiere that same evening, explained that she was looking forward to speaking with Barrymore on her eponymous talk show the next morning but that "I guess ICE had other plans & I was detained instead."
"Sign of the times, I guess," she added.
Lyonne continued, "Thanks for all the love and support. Never had a problem with @Delta or @TSA before. Heart is with our unpaid @TSA workers. 💗💗 Apologies to any travelers who were delayed."
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Earlier this week, Page Six reported that Lyonne was removed from her flight after she failed to follow flight attendants' instructions. The outlet also reported that the* Russian Doll *star "seemed out of it" while she was sitting in her first-class seat.
Lyonne broke her silence on the incident in a social media post on Thursday. "My heart is with all the unpaid TSA agents at our airports. Sure was looking forward to speaking honestly with @DrewBarrymore yesterday but guess [it] wasn't in the cards," she wrote before taking a shot at Page Six. "Who owns Page Six/*New York Post* now again?"
Representatives for Lyonne and U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement did not immediately respond to **'s request for comment. When asked about reports about the actress' behavior on the flight, a Delta representative told EW that the airline had nothing to add.
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