Margaret Cho revealed a deeply personal and embarrassing incident involving weight-loss drugs during an episode of the “How to Fail With Elizabeth Day” podcast. The comedian, 57, recounted taking unspecified pills decades ago designed to “remove the fat from the food” she ate, which led to uncontrollable bowel issues. She compared the resulting bodily discharge to “pepperoni grease” blotted from pizza.
During a comedy show in the early 2000s, Cho experienced a humiliating onstage accident while wearing an all-white outfit. As she performed, she began “spurting orange grease” mid-set, forcing her to exit abruptly despite receiving a standing ovation and demands for an encore. Backstage, she privately relieved herself, leaving an oily stain, then fled to her car. The incident left a permanent orange stain on her car seat, which she claimed necessitated buying a new vehicle.
Cho described feeling simultaneously “disgusted” and amused by the ordeal, which prompted her to stop using the drugs. She later explored other weight-loss methods but has been vocal about Hollywood’s damaging beauty standards. In a 2020 interview, she reflected on societal pressures causing “self-hatred,” and in 2021, she disclosed losing 30 pounds in two weeks through extreme measures for her 1994 sitcom “All-American Girl,” which led to kidney failure.
The story concludes with a resource for those struggling with eating disorders: the National Alliance for Eating Disorders helpline (866-662-1235).