Teddi Mellencamp reflects on alleged affair and cancer diagnosis in emotional podcast interview

Teddi Mellencamp addresses alleged affair and links cancer diagnosis to emotional turmoil in podcast interview.

Teddi Mellencamp is opening up for the first time about the alleged affair with her horse trainer, Simon Schroeder, addressing long-standing rumors and expressing deep emotional reflection on her recent health struggles.

In the second installment of her interview on The Jamie Kern Lima Show, released on August 5, the former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star broke her silence on the rumors that circulated in late 2024. “I've never talked about it at all, just because of the kids,” Mellencamp, 44, said. “But what I can say is, did I do things that hurt other people? Yes.”

Fighting back tears, Mellencamp discussed the guilt and emotional pain that followed, and questioned whether her stage 4 cancer diagnosis—melanoma that metastasized to her brain and lungs—was some form of karmic “payback.” She shared, “To this day, does it still hurt my heart and I wonder if that’s why I got cancer? Yes, like it was my payback.”

Mellencamp emphasized that her actions occurred during a time when she felt “broken as a human being.” She described experiencing months of severe, undiagnosed headaches and emotional turmoil, saying she was “looking for comfort anywhere” and that she felt “so sick” and emotionally overwhelmed. However, she stopped short of blaming her alleged behavior on her illness, instead acknowledging a “perfect storm” of life events that left her feeling out of control.

The affair rumors surfaced in November 2024, around the same time Mellencamp filed for divorce from husband Edwin Arroyave after 13 years of marriage. Shortly after, Schroeder’s ex-wife, Karli Schroeder, filed for divorce as well. Simon Schroeder has not publicly addressed the rumors.

In February 2025, Mellencamp revealed her cancer diagnosis, prompting a pause in her divorce proceedings. She and Arroyave have since remained close, cohabiting and supporting each other through her treatment. “I don’t hate Edwin,” she said, noting their continued friendship and shared priority in co-parenting.

Mellencamp concluded by reflecting on the fallout: “So many people are hurt in the wreckage. But the wreckage doesn’t happen on its own.”