Reality TV star Teddi Mellencamp, best known for her role on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, has revealed she is facing stage 4 cancer and doctors have given her a “50/50” chance of survival. Speaking candidly during an interview on ABC’s Nightline, Mellencamp, 43, explained that while the prognosis is based on limited data due to immunotherapy being a relatively new treatment, she finds the odds unsettling.
Initially diagnosed with melanoma in 2022, Mellencamp disclosed in February 2025 that tumors had been found in both her brain and lungs. She has since undergone surgery and is receiving radiation and immunotherapy. “Normally, I’m used to running seven miles. Today I’m barely walking one,” she said, reflecting on how her condition has affected her previously active lifestyle.
Despite the challenges, Mellencamp is maintaining a sense of humour to cope, even joking with her children by blaming forgetfulness on “the tumors.” She shares three kids—Slate, 12, Cruz, 10, and Dove, 5—with her estranged husband, Edwin Arroyave.
She also addressed headlines about her famous father, musician John Mellencamp, who has reportedly discussed burial arrangements in their family’s Indiana mausoleum. Teddi clarified on Instagram that the conversation was light-hearted and not an indication of declining health, emphasizing that she is currently “doing well.”
Still, Mellencamp admitted that this experience has been the first time she’s felt genuinely scared and out of control. Through it all, she hopes to raise awareness about melanoma and the importance of early detection. “These are special times,” she said, “and I’m grateful to still be here.”
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