Why Did Ellen Pretend She Didn’t Know Margaret Cho?

June 23, 2025: Comedian Margaret Cho didn’t hold back in a recent appearance on The Kelly Mantle Show podcast, where she called out Ellen DeGeneres for allegedly being a “mean girl” and “not nice” throughout much of her career.

Cho, 56, described her longtime but complicated history with the former talk show host, saying, “It’s so weird now — public perception of her is more true to who she really is… she was like a mean girl, kind of, but also she would be real nice.”

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Cho claimed DeGeneres, 67, may have held a grudge over the years because her partners “always liked me.”

The “Notorious C.H.O.” star shared that she had opened for Ellen in comedy clubs during the 1980s, long before Ellen’s mainstream fame. But when she appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in the 2000s, Cho says Ellen acted like they had never met. “I’m like, ‘Bitch, what?’ That’s weird. We go way back.”

Cho also alleged that a clip featuring David Bowie praising her was cut from his guest appearance on Ellen’s show. She recalled Bowie being excited after seeing her at a concert in a bold Chinese emperor outfit — and he spoke about it on air. But according to Cho, “She cut it out of the show, which made me so mad.”

A producer friend even confirmed the moment was removed, leaving Cho feeling snubbed. “Maybe it was for time,” she said, “but still, I’m gonna take it personally because I decided to.”