Mirrorpix / Splash NewsNigella Lawson is temporarily barred from entering the United States after U.S. officials stopped her as she tried to board a flight from London to Los Angeles on Sunday.
U.S. embassy spokeswoman Lynne Platt told NBC News the 54-year-old celebrity chef was stopped at Heathrow airport and had subsequently been invited to the embassy to apply for a visa. Platt explained these types of applications are generally handled "routinely and expeditiously."
The embassy did not explain the reason why Lawson was unable to enter the U.S.
Lawson admitted of past cocaine and marijuana use during the fraud trial of her former assistants, sisters Francesca Grillo and Elisabetta Grillo.
The sisters were eventually found not guilty on Dec. 20 and London's Metropolitan Police force said at the time Scotland Yard would not investigate claims Lawson took cocaine, but will review the decision if new evidence comes to light.
Since the trial, the TV personality has not been prosecuted, let alone convicted, for her drug use confessions.
Lawson's rep would not comment on the story.
The Office of Public Affairs for U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Customs and Border Protection could not speak directly about Lawson's reported case because of the Privacy Act.
"Applicants for admission bear the burden of proof to establish that they are clearly eligible to enter the United States," the statement explained. "In order to demonstrate that they are admissible, the applicant must overcome all grounds of inadmissibility."
Experts on U.S.travel restrictions told Today that Lawson can apply to have any restriction lifted.
Celebrities who have been convicted of drug offenses and have been barred from travel to the U.S. include Boy George and Amy Winehouse, according to Today.
(E! and Today are part of the NBCUniversal family.)
(Originally published on Thursday, April 3 at 7:39 a.m. PDT)
—Additional reporting by Holly Passalaqua