Margaret Cho Recalls Decades of Ellen DeGeneres’ ‘Not Nice’ Behavior
Comedian Margaret Cho is opening up about her long-standing negative experiences with former talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, revealing a pattern of behavior she describes as “weird and not nice” throughout much of her career.
Speaking on a recent episode of The Kelly Mantle Show, Cho detailed interactions with DeGeneres that span decades, highlighting a puzzling shift in their dynamic from their early days in comedy clubs to Cho’s later appearances on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
A Shared Past, A Distant Present
Cho recalled opening for DeGeneres in comedy clubs back in the 1980s when DeGeneres was headlining. This shared history in the stand-up circuit suggested a degree of professional acquaintance between the two comedians.
However, Cho claims that when she later appeared as a guest on DeGeneres’ popular daytime talk show in the 2000s, Ellen would strangely act as if they had never met before.
“Ellen was really weird and not nice to me for most of my career,” Cho stated. “I opened for her in the 1980s… Later, when I would do her talk show in the 2000s, she would act like we just met.”
Recalling her reaction to this apparent disconnect, Cho quipped, “And I’m like, ‘Bitch, what?’ That’s weird. We go way back. It’s so creepy and weird.” This pattern of behavior reportedly left Cho feeling bewildered, suggesting a striking and perhaps deliberately distant approach from DeGeneres.
The Edited David Bowie Encounter
Cho shared a specific incident from a talk show appearance that particularly stuck with her. She recounted attending a David Bowie concert dressed in an elaborate “Chinese emperor outfit.” The next day, while she was a guest on DeGeneres’ show alongside Bowie, the legendary singer complimented her attire during the segment.
However, Cho later learned from a producer friend that Bowie’s positive remarks about her outfit had been entirely cut from the broadcast.
“The producer, who’s a really good friend of mine, had to call me and tell me, ‘I can’t believe she did this, but she cut it out of the show,'” Cho recalled the friend saying. “‘But you need to know that he was going on and on about your outfit. God said your name. He loves you.'”
Cho admitted she wasn’t certain if the segment was cut for time or another reason, but the experience felt like a pointed slight. “But still — I’m going to take it personally,” she said, calling the action “so rude.”
Previous Comments and DeGeneres’ Show’s End
This isn’t the first time Cho has publicly commented on DeGeneres. On the Hot Takes & Deep Dives podcast in 2020, amid the widely reported allegations of a toxic workplace environment at The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Cho was asked about camaraderie among queer comedians from the 80s. While acknowledging a general closeness, she specifically addressed DeGeneres’ reputation.
“I think she definitely is scary,” Cho said at the time. “I’m still scared of Ellen. Everyone should be scared of Ellen.”
Following an internal investigation by WarnerMedia that found “deficiencies” in the show’s production and led to the departure of three producers, DeGeneres chose to end her talk show in 2021 after a successful 19-season run. At the time, she cited a lack of challenge as her reason for concluding the show, telling The Hollywood Reporter, “as great as this show is… it’s just not a challenge anymore.”
In her 2024 stand-up special, Ellen DeGeneres: For Your Approval, the comedian directly addressed the toxic workplace allegations, joking that being known as “the ‘be kind’ girl wasn’t kind” got her “kicked out of show business.” She humorously reflected on the irony of her show’s sign-off phrase contrasting with the public perception fueled by the scandal.