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Ellen DeGeneres is facing fresh backlash over her alleged behind-the-scenes behavior, this time from fellow comedian Margaret Cho, who didn’t hold back in a recent interview. Cho took aim at the former daytime TV titan during an appearance on “The Kelly Mantle Show,” calling DeGeneres “really weird and not nice” throughout their decades-long professional history.
Her comments add to the growing chorus of criticism that has followed DeGeneres since her talk show ended in 2022 amid accusations of fostering a toxic work environment. “Ellen was like really weird and not nice to me for most of my career,” Cho said, recalling their early days as stand-up comics in the 1980s. “I opened for her in the 1980s when she was a headliner in comedy clubs… way, way before her big fame.”
Margaret Cho Says Ellen DeGeneres Cut David Bowie Tribute From Show
The “All-American Girl” star said she was shocked by Ellen’s behavior when they later reunited on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” in the 2000s. “She acted like we just met. And I’m like: ‘B-tch, what?’ That’s weird. We go way back,” Cho recalled, calling the interaction “creepy and weird.”
Cho also shared a particularly disappointing story involving music icon David Bowie. She claims Bowie raved about her during a taping of The Ellen DeGeneres Show after seeing her in the audience at one of his concerts dressed in a bold Chinese emperor outfit. But according to Cho, Ellen cut the entire segment from the show. “He was really thrilled about it and talked at length… and she cut it out of the show, which made me so mad,” Cho said, adding that a producer friend had to break the news to her. “He loves you. God said your name,” Cho was told. Still, the segment never aired. “Maybe it was for time,” she added. “But still, I’m gonna take it personally, just ‘cause I decided to.”
Ellen DeGeneres Slammed as ‘Petty’ and ‘Mean’ After Margaret Cho’s Claims
DeGeneres, now 67, has mostly retreated from the public eye since her show’s cancellation, admitting in a recent comedy appearance that she felt she had been “kicked out of show business” for being “mean,” a stark contrast to the once-adored “Queen of Nice” image she cultivated for years.
Fans have come out in support of Cho following the interview, with one writing, “Petty. Jealous. Mean.” Another added, “Good riddance to Ellen. England is stuck with her now.” A third said bluntly, “She rivals Rosie O’Donnell in the not-nice category.” Neither Ellen nor her team has publicly responded to Cho’s latest claims.
