Natasha Lyonne says she was pulled off a Delta flight before it departed for New York on Tuesday because her sleeping pill kicked in too soon.
“Indeed, I took a Lunesta once seated, to ensure some shut eye on the Delta One red eye flight to NYC,” she posted on social media Friday. “Boarded seamlessly with just a backpack and sneakers, eager for a nap.”
The 47-year-old “Russian Doll” actor was responding to reports that she was yanked off a flight after appearing despondent following the red carpet premiere of “Euphoria” on the West Coast. Lyonne was said to have been dozing off and unresponsive to flight attendant instruction on the red eye to New York, where she was to have appeared on Wednesday’s “The Drew Barrymore Show.”
“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,” she posted on X.
The New York City native, whose show business career started with “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” in 1986, has a well-documented history of battling addiction. She admitted to relapsing in January, but gave no indication Tuesday’s incident was cause for concern.
Lyonne expressed disappointment and indicated U.S. Customs and Immigration played a hand in her itinerary change.
“Was looking forward to seeing Drew & an in depth convo, but I guess ICE had other plans & I was detained instead,” she posted. “Sign of the times, I guess.”
ICE officials couldn’t immediately be reached for comment. It’s not clear if that agency was involved in her detainment. Lyonne was one of several celebrities who signed a petition earlier in the week to close Texas’ Dilley Immigration Processing Center, which ICE operates.
In her social media post, she apologized to travelers who may have been inconvenienced. She also expressed sympathy for Transportation Security Administration workers whose paychecks were delayed in recent weeks due to the partial government shutdown.