Margaret Cho’s Childhood Sexual Abuse: Comedian Said Bullies Told Her She ‘Deserved’ To Be Raped

For the first time ever, Margaret Cho is opening up about her horrifying sexual abuse that she experienced as a child.

During an interview with Billboard, the comedian discloses that she was raped through her teenage years. “I endured it so many times, especially because I was alone a lot. I was raped continuously through my teenage years, and I didn’t know how to stop it.”

Cho, who didn’t reveal her abuser’s name, said that a family friend had sexually molested her from ages 5 to 12. When Cho was 14 she said another person raped her. It was a struggle for Cho, who found it hard to examine what had happened. In the interview, she said it “was hard for me to let go of anger, forgive or understand what happened.”

To make it even worse, Cho said that her classmates began to bully her. They learned that she was raped when she told someone, and used it against her. “I told someone that I was raped, and the kids at school found out and said, ‘You are so ugly and fat that the only way anybody would have sex with you is if they were crazy and raped you. So don’t act like you are hot and somebody wanted to f— you.”

She continued, saying that the bullies told her, “It’s because you are disgusting, and you deserve to be raped.'”

Fortunately, Cho learned how to heal by keeping a journal. Her English teacher, who was killed, was the person to suggest that she keep this journal to give herself a voice. After her teacher’s death, Cho decided to leave school early.

This isn’t the only struggle she’s been through. Her short-lived show All-American Girl was cancelled, but prior to that she was told to lose weight. During that time Cho became obsessed with her body image, and became addicted to pills. Slowly, this turned into a struggle with depression, alcoholism, drug addiction, and anorexia, which she has been open about in the past, specifically in her Off-Broadway show I’m the One That I Want.

Earlier this year, Margaret went through another heartache when news hit that she was divorcing her husband. Back in December she filed for divorce after they separated in September, ending their 11-year marriage.

Back in 2013 she talked on the talk show The Real about their understanding relationship,” ‘I’m married to a man but i’m bisexual so I like both. We got together because we both have this idea, ‘I just don’t want to have sex with the same person my whole life.'”

[Photo by Frazer Harrison / Getty Images]