Euphoria star says she was removed from her Delta flight not because of a sleep aid, but because ICE detained her

Natasha Lyonne, star of Euphoria, has given a new explanation for why she was removed from a Delta redeye flight from Los Angeles to New York last Thursday. She says Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained her. Earlier reports had suggested she appeared disoriented and had trouble following instructions from flight attendants.

According to The Daily Beast, Lyonne shared her account in an X post, saying she was removed from the flight “because ICE had other plans.” She explained that she had taken a Lunesta sleep aid “once seated, to ensure some shut eye on the Delta One red eye flight to NYC.” She had planned to head straight to hair and makeup after landing for an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show.

She thanked E! News for reporting her use of a sleep aid, saying it helped quiet speculation about other substances. She made it clear she would have made her scheduled appearance if immigration agents had not “detained her instead.” She did not go into detail about ICE’s involvement, simply saying, “Sign of the times, I guess.” She also thanked TSA workers and Delta Airlines and apologized to passengers affected by delays.

ICE’s involvement adds a new layer to a story that started with eyewitness accounts of a disoriented passenger

Earlier reports painted a different picture. An eyewitness told an outlet that Lyonne, still in the outfit she wore to the Euphoria season three premiere just hours earlier, seemed confused on the plane. According to that source, she asked a crew member, “Where are we?” and was told, “We’re still in L.A. The plane hasn’t gone anywhere.”

She was reportedly asked several times to fasten her seat belt and close her laptop. A crew member allegedly told her, “The plane is not going anywhere until you come off it.” According to the account, Lyonne then went to the bathroom and quietly left the plane, eating pretzels as she walked off.

Although she missed The Drew Barrymore Show appearance, Lyonne did make it to New York for at least one commitment. On Friday, she attended the red carpet premiere of Lorne, a documentary about Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels. Her comment about ICE comes at a time when the agency has been making headlines frequently, including a recent report on ICE agents shooting a man in Northern California and the controversy that followed.

During her posts about the incident, she also responded to media coverage in her own way. She reposted an update from an entertainment publication about the plane story and added, “Hi, @Variety! The Lorne doc is excellent. Strongly recommend. Incredibly moving, hilarious, and insightful!” 

ICE’s growing presence across the country has also sparked public reaction, with many Americans responding to agents going door-to-door in neighborhoods by joining a viral TikTok trend. She also took a subtle dig at other outlets on Thursday, thanking TSA workers while asking, “Who owns page six/New York Post now again?” suggesting she was not happy with how some of the early reports had framed the situation.