4 hours ago
Margaret Cho Recounts Weight-Loss Drug Ordeal and Shocking Onstage Accident
READ TIME: 2 MIN.
Comedian and actor Margaret Cho has shared a candid account of how a weight-loss medication she took early in her career caused a severe onstage accident, describing it as a turning point in her struggle with disordered eating and diet drugs.
Cho recounted the incident in a recent appearance on the “How to Fail with Elizabeth Day” podcast, where she discussed her history with anorexia, extreme dieting, and the use of medications marketed for weight loss.
Speaking to host Elizabeth Day, Cho said that as a young performer she was dealing with anorexia and experimenting with “all these weird drugs” that were supposed to remove fat from food and speed weight loss. She described combining those medications with sugar-free foods and sweeteners that caused constant diarrhea.
According to Cho, one of the drugs was intended to block the absorption of fat and caused oily discharge when she ate. The comedian recalled performing a stand-up set while dressed in all white and realizing, near the end of the show, that she was losing control of her bowels on stage.
Cho said the medication caused bright orange, greasy leakage that stained her white outfit as she continued to perform. She told the podcast she attempted to finish her set despite the accident and received a standing ovation from the audience, who were unaware of what was happening.
After walking backward off stage to avoid revealing the stains, Cho said she fled to the parking lot while the crowd continued applauding and calling for an encore. She described crying in her car, worried about the smell and the permanent orange stains on the fabric seats, and later squatting outside to relieve the remaining cramping and oil leakage.
Cho said she was both disgusted and able to see the dark humor in the situation, but the experience ultimately convinced her to stop using weight-loss medications. She linked her use of those drugs to intense pressure to be thin and to experiences of anorexia earlier in her life and career.
The comedian, who is openly queer and has long been an advocate for LGBTQ+ communities, has previously spoken about body image, racism, and harmful beauty standards in entertainment. In discussing the weight-loss drug incident now, she placed it within a broader pattern of diet culture and appearance-based pressure that can disproportionately affect women, Asian American performers, and LGBTQ+ people working in media and comedy.
Cho’s recent comments come at a time of heightened public attention to weight-loss medications and supplements, including renewed debate over side effects, access, and the impact of aggressive marketing on people living with eating disorders. While Cho did not name a specific product, her account echoes documented gastrointestinal side effects associated with some fat-blocking drugs and certain diet products that alter fat absorption.
Advocates for people with eating disorders and LGBTQ+ health organizations have emphasized the importance of discussing these risks openly, noting that LGBTQ+ people are at elevated risk for disordered eating and body dissatisfaction compared with the general population. Cho’s decision to describe her experience publicly adds a high-profile voice to ongoing conversations about the intersection of diet culture, mental health, and inclusive, person-centered care.
