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Margaret Cho Says Ellen DeGeneres Was “Weird and Not Nice”
Margaret Cho is not holding back. In a recent episode of The Kelly Mantle Show podcast, the comedian shared some stories about her longtime experience in the entertainment industry. One name came up that surprised a lot of people — Ellen DeGeneres.
Turns out, Cho’s experience with the former daytime talk show host wasn’t all smiles and dancing.
They Go Way Back — Sort Of
Cho explained that she actually used to open for Ellen back in the 1980s. This wasn’t just a one-off gig. They worked in the same comedy circuit before Ellen became a household name. So when Cho appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show years later, she expected a little familiarity.
That’s not what happened.
“Ellen was really weird and not nice to me for most of my career,” Cho said. She recalled how, during her appearance on the show in the 2000s, Ellen acted like they’d never met before.
“And I’m like, ‘B—-, what?’” Cho added. “That’s weird. We go way back. It’s so creepy and weird.”
The David Bowie Incident
The awkwardness didn’t stop there.
Cho also talked about a separate moment involving music legend David Bowie. Years ago, she went to one of his concerts wearing a bold Chinese emperor outfit. Bowie noticed. And he loved it.
He was so impressed, he brought it up when he appeared on Ellen’s show. According to Cho, Bowie talked at length about her look and how much it stood out.
But viewers never saw it. That entire segment got cut.
“The producer, who’s a really good friend of mine, had to call me and tell me,” Cho said. “I can’t believe she did this, but she cut it out of the show.”
Cho said it felt personal. “Maybe it was for time. But still, I’m going to take it personally just because I decided to,” she added.
Fans React to the Claims
Online reactions were mixed. Some fans of Cho applauded her honesty, saying they weren’t surprised. Others defended Ellen, saying editing choices happen for all kinds of reasons.
Still, Cho’s story adds to a growing list of people in the industry who have hinted that the off-camera Ellen isn’t always the warm personality viewers saw on daytime TV.
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