Glen Powell, ‘Traumatized’ by Ketchup, Starts Condiment Company

Glen Powell plays the long game.

On April 2, the movie star joined TODAY’s Jenna Bush Hager and guest co-host Olivia Munn to chat about his starring role in “The Running Man,” his sister’s wedding and more.

After playing a round of “Saucy Questions” based around his new condiment line Smash Kitchen, Powell revealed a not-so-pleasant childhood memory that may have led to his new venture.

“I used to be traumatized by ketchup,” Powell tells TODAY.com. “When I was a kid, I was obsessed with ketchup, I put it on absolutely everything.”

The “Twisters” star says that one of his buddies — who had a little sister who was a year younger than he was — would frequently have sleepovers at his house.

“If we had sleepovers at the same time, the boys would have to sleep outside, the girls slept inside,” he says. “We slept on the trampoline at night.” 

Fast asleep, the boys had no idea what was about to happen.

“In the middle of the night, the girls snuck out and poured ketchup all over us, and in the Texas sun, it baked,” Powell recounts. “I woke up and it was a terrible, terrible smell. So I jumped into the pool.”

Covered in stale, hot ketchup, Powell says it absolutely “ruined” the condiment for him for years until he developed his own. On April 2, Powell announced Smash Kitchen, an organic condiment line now available nationwide exclusively at Walmart.

The brand will offer eight organic flavors: ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, BBQ sauce, hot honey ketchup, spicy mayonnaise and hot honey BBQ sauce. The line’s ketchup, mustard and mayo come in two sizes, and everything retails for $2.17 to $4.97.

And this is “just the beginning,” said Sean Kane, co-founder and President of Smash Kitchen, in a press release. “Our vision is to transform the entire pantry, bringing delicious, organic options to every shelf, one category at a time.”

Powell says he “can’t eat” normal ketchup now. I can eat my own, which is great. So this is a great redemption story.”

When asked if Smash Kitchen is his way of getting back at the childhood prank, he stands firm.

“This revenge was a long play,” he jokes.