Reality Star Shares Emotional Update on Her Cancer Battle

Reality star Teddi Mellencamp, 44, gave an update on the intense mental toll from her protracted cancer battle.

“I’m struggling,” she admitted to Gold Derby. Teddi, a former cast member of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, is the daughter of rock legend John Mellencamp, 74.

She continued, “For the first months, all I did was focus on physically getting better. I didn’t think about the mental side at all or that I’d have PTSD from it.”

John discussed his daughter’s condition on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast in January, stating that his daughter had been “really sick.” His comments sparked rumors that her cancer had returned.

Teddi clarified, “My dad went on a show and said that I was ‘suffering,’ and people thought that meant my cancer was back—but he meant mentally.”

The reality star has faced an onslaught of health challenges since doctors diagnosed her in 2022 with stage 2 melanoma on her back.

Three years later, she underwent surgery after doctors discovered multiple tumors in her brain. Just two months after that, she revealed the cancer had metastasized to her brain and lungs, progressing to stage 4.

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In October of last year, however, Teddi shared good news: although she was not yet in remission, her melanoma was undetectable.

The tentative victory came at an arduous cost: By January 2026, Teddi had undergone a total of 17 surgeries to treat her cancer.

Teddi continued, “I’m still in immunotherapy, and some people say it can have effects, but for me it’s really been the mental part catching up.”

“At the beginning, I went right back to riding horses, competing, doing everything I did before. I think I just overdid it without processing what had happened,” Teddi, a mother of three, told Gold Derby.

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She continued, “I think oftentimes when we talk about healing from cancer, we focus on the physical aspect. But the mental aspect is also huge. Being able to talk about both parts has been really cathartic for me, and I think it helps other people hear that they’re not alone.”

Teddi recounted the experience of doctors discovering her brain tumors. “I was working the Super Bowl, came home with a really bad headache, and my ex took me to the hospital,“ she said, referring to her estranged husband, entrepreneur Edwin Arroyave.

The couple has three children together: Slate, 12; Cruz, 11; and Dove, 5. Teddi is also Isabella Arroyave’s stepmother, Edwin’s daughter from his previous marriage to Christina Mecklenburg.

The pair announced their separation in November 2024 after 13 years of marriage, but paused divorce proceedings due to Teddi’s health crisis.

”They found six plum-sized tumors in my brain, and I had surgery the next day,” she said.

Teddi competed on season 14 of Fox’s The Masked Singer as Calla Lily, before she was eliminated during episode 5 last night. For her final performance, she sang her father’s 1982 hit “Jack & Diane.”

Teddi said the opportunity to be on the show and have a larger platform to talk about her recovery journey was “huge” for her.

She also thanked the costume team from The Masked Singer for being considerate of her health. “They were very conscientious of my brain stuff, so my headpiece was super light. I could lift it on and off effortlessly,” she said.

Right now, Teddi remains focused on living in the moment: “I’ve always been obsessed with ‘what’s next,’ to the point of making myself crazy because I want to control everything. For the first time in my life, I’m just taking it one day at a time—one foot after another. And I know the next thing will come when it’s supposed to.”