Natasha Lyonne was escorted off a cross-country Delta flight late Wednesday night, April 8, just hours after attending the Season 3 premiere of Euphoria in Los Angeles.
According to eyewitness accounts given to The New York Post, Lyonne boarded a red-eye from Los Angeles to New York in first class shortly after leaving the Hollywood event, where she had appeared on the carpet as one of the HBO drama’s new guest stars.
Witnesses said she was still wearing much of the same outfit from the premiere, including dark sunglasses, black stockings, and a long coat.
The situation escalated before takeoff when flight attendants repeatedly instructed Lyonne to close her laptop and fasten her seatbelt. Passengers said she appeared disoriented and did not initially respond. At one point, she reportedly startled awake and said, “Ah! You scared me!”
After multiple attempts to get her attention, crew members removed the laptop from her hands, and the aircraft began taxiing. But the plane soon returned to the gate, where a Delta employee boarded and asked Lyonne whether she needed medical assistance.
Witnesses said Lyonne appeared confused about where she was, asking, “Where are we?” A staff member responded that the plane had not yet left Los Angeles and told her the flight would not depart until she exited the aircraft.
She was then removed from the flight without further incident. After briefly heading to the restroom, Lyonne reportedly emerged eating pretzels before leaving the plane. Her luggage had already been taken off the aircraft.
The pilot later addressed the delayed passengers, apologizing for the roughly hour-long hold-up and explaining that one traveler “wouldn’t follow some basic commands” and “didn’t seem up to the task tonight.”
The incident comes just weeks after Lyonne publicly addressed a recent relapse. In January, the actress told fans she had relapsed before later writing on social media that she was “doing a whole lot better” and “back on her feet.” Last month, she thanked members of her recovery community and said she hoped to keep her journey mostly private.
Federal aviation regulations prohibit airlines from allowing anyone who appears intoxicated to board an aircraft, and crew members can face consequences if they permit a visibly impaired passenger to fly.
Under FAA rules, airlines must also document and report disturbances involving passengers who appear intoxicated.
