Margaret Cho, the trailblazing comedian and actress, has been candid about the struggles she faced with eating disorders throughout much of her life.
During a recent interview on How To Fail With Elizabeth Day, the 57-year-old reflected on how, in the height of the Y2K skinny craze, she experimented with weight-loss drugs that had shocking and sometimes humiliating effects.
Experimenting with Extreme Diet Aids
Cho admitted she tried “all these weird drugs” alongside special foods meant to speed up digestion.
“All these sweeteners would make you just have diarrhea constantly,” she said.
She explained how her diet consisted largely of these foods while taking pills designed to remove fat from everything she ate.
The drug she described as “orange” strongly suggests it was Orlistat, a weight-loss medication that blocks fat absorption.
A Nightmarish Onstage Incident
One story Cho shared was particularly harrowing—and bizarrely comedic.
During a performance while wearing all white, she lost control of her body as the drug caused fat to exit her system uncontrollably.
“I started spurting orange grease out of my a**hole while I’m onstage,” she recounted.
Even as the audience gave her a standing ovation and called for an encore, she retreated behind the curtains in sheer horror.
The ordeal didn’t end there. Cho rushed to her car and had to relieve herself in the parking lot, leaving behind a permanent orange oil stain on her front seat.
“I had to just get a new car,” she said.
The comedian immediately quit the drug, disgusted by the experience.
Long-Term Health Consequences
Cho’s struggles weren’t limited to funny, if horrifying, onstage stories.
She has been open about the severe physical consequences of trying to maintain a certain body image, particularly during the nineties.
As the first Asian American to lead an ABC sitcom with All-American Girl, she faced immense pressure to look like the “skinny Friends actresses.”
At that time, she took fen-phen, a now-banned combination of fenfluramine and phentermine, and admitted it had serious dangers.
“It’s outlawed now because it killed people, but I loved it,” she said.
Her past includes kidney failure and long-lasting health effects from restrictive dieting.
“You can really damage your body with starvation. Anorexia is what it is. It’s anorexia,” she added.
Cho’s Career Moves Today
Despite these past hardships, Cho continues to thrive professionally.
She is set to bring her Choligarchy Tour to the Louisville Comedy Club in Louisville, Kentucky, on January 15.
Additionally, she will have two films premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah this month: I Want Your Sex, an erotic thriller by Gregg Araki releasing January 23, and Run Amok, a teen drama directed by NB Mager premiering January 26, where she plays Principal Linda.
Reflecting on the Journey
Cho’s story is a striking reminder of the physical and emotional toll of eating disorders, especially in industries obsessed with appearance.
Yet her humor and resilience shine through even the darkest memories.
“It was really awful and damaging, and I still have some residual effects from it now, more than 30 years on,” she said.
Her honesty highlights both the dangers of extreme weight-loss measures and the importance of self-acceptance.
Cho’s candid reflections show that even through trauma, setbacks, and public scrutiny, she has maintained her voice, her career, and her sense of humor—a testament to her enduring strength and creativity.
Share on Facebook «||» Share on Twitter «||» Share on Reddit «||» Share on LinkedIn