Margaret Cho Says Ellen DeGeneres Was “Really Weird and Not Nice” to Her for Most of Her Career

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Margaret Cho claims that Ellen DeGeneres has been unkind to her throughout the majority of their careers, even though they both started out in comedy during their earlier years.

On a recent episode of “The Kelly Mantle Show,” the performer, who is both an actress and comedian, asserted that Ellen DeGeneres always seemed to greet her as if they’d never met before, whenever she was a guest on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Ellen wasn’t very kind to me throughout most of my professional life, as Cho stated. In the 1980s, she was a well-known comedian and I opened for her at comedy clubs; yet, even before her massive fame, she gave off an odd vibe towards me. Later, when I appeared on her talk show in the 2000s, it seemed like we were meeting each other for the first time.”

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“Cho explained that Ellen was not nice to him during most of his career. In the 1980s, he opened for her as a comedian at comedy clubs, before she became famous; however, even then, she came across as strange towards him. Then, when they worked together on her talk show in the 2000s, it felt like they had never met.

I find myself saying, ‘Really now?’ Such an odd encounter! We’ve shared quite a history together. It’s certainly unsettling and peculiar,” said the Grammy and Emmy-nominated personality, humorously expressing his surprise.

In another instance, Cho shared a memory about David Bowie appearing on Ellen DeGeneres’ daytime talk show. Prior to this event, Cho happened to attend one of his concerts, dressing up as a Chinese emperor, as she put it. Later, it was revealed that during his visit to The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Bowie continued to compliment her concert attire; however, these compliments were omitted from the televised program.

According to Cho, his friend who is very close to me had to phone me and share the news, “I can hardly believe it, but she removed it from the show.” However, he also wanted me to understand that he had been praising my outfit extensively. Essentially, he said something along the lines of, “God mentioned your name. He’s fond of you.

Although Cho isn’t completely certain as to why Bowie’s comments about her attire were edited out of the program, she speculated it might be because of time constraints. However, she made it clear that she will still view this incident as a personal matter.

The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to DeGeneres’ rep for comment.

Leading up to the final season 19 of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” in 2022, I found myself caught in a whirlwind of controversy surrounding Ellen DeGeneres and her program. Allegations of a toxic work environment, personal attacks, and even an exposé by BuzzFeed News added fuel to the fire. This ultimately led to an internal investigation by WarnerMedia and the dismissal of several key executives.

During the start of its 18th season, DeGeneres expressed regret after learning about allegations of a toxic work environment through media outlets. She addressed her viewers and acknowledged, “I’ve learned that inappropriate incidents occurred here, which should never have happened. I take this matter seriously, and I want to extend my deepest apologies to those who were impacted.

Regarding the reason she chose to conclude her daytime program at the end of season 19, DeGeneres expressed to The Hollywood Reporter in 2021 that “As someone who’s creative, you always need fresh challenges – and though this show is fantastic and enjoyable, it no longer provides that stimulus anymore.

Cho has previously expressed his thoughts on the toxic workplace allegations against The Ellen DeGeneres Show. On the Hot Takes & Deep Dives podcast in 2020, he stated, “I believe she can be intimidating. I’m still afraid of Ellen. Everyone should fear Ellen. I wouldn’t know what it would be like to work for someone like that.

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2025-06-23 01:24