Teddi Mellencamp Reveals Four Additional Tumors Have Been Found on Her Brain

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum opened up about a devastating development with her health, while speaking with Us Weekly for a new cover story.

Telling the outlet that she’s discovered four more tumors on her brain, Teddi — who is fighting a stage 4 melanoma diagnosis, which has metastasized to her lungs and brain — said this is by far the “hardest” thing she’s faced in her life.

“This is definitely the hardest thing [I’ve faced in my life], but now it feels less hard. When I was in the ICU, it was incredibly difficult because I had no memory,” Teddi shared. “One day, I realized it was my daughter’s birthday, and I couldn’t be there for it; it was really sad. It’s still sad when I can’t be there for my kids the way I’d normally be.”

It’s also brought her closer to the people in her life, including her ex, Edwin Arroyave, from whom Teddi was in the middle of divorcing when she got the news about her health.

“We’ve always made each other laugh. We always pushed each other’s buttons, and [that made] it fun. And us not being able to have that for a long time was really sad and hard,” she said. “If any part of this was for a reason, the second that I got sick, he completely changed. It’s a silver lining. 
He’s been there for me a hundred percent, he’s been there for the kids, and we’re back to laughing.”

The same goes for her famous father, John Mellencamp, with Teddi revealing that it was actually Edwin who told him she was sick.

“It happened between Edwin and my dad, not me. I was not expecting my entire family to be out here within 24 hours, but by the time I was out of surgery, everybody was there,” she added. “My dad hates L.A., so the fact that he was out here for 18 days — wow. That says a lot.”

Teddi continued, “He calls every day to check on me. Some days, I’m not in the mood, I don’t want a pep talk. [I tell him], “I’ll talk to you tomorrow, I’ll be more pep talk-ready, but I love you.”

As for the advice the musician has given her, Teddi said the biggest lesson has been to give herself some “grace.”

“The wild thing was my dad had a heart attack when he was 36 and had three years where he wasn’t in the business anymore. I remember his life completely changing,” Teddi recalled. “And some of the moments [when] I felt really scared, I was like, ‘Hold on. I’m not changing everything about my life. I want more things. I want to keep building, But he’s like, ‘There are moments where you emotionally won’t be able to control how you’re feeling because of a certain medication or a certain whatever. And you have to give yourself some grace and know this isn’t you sometimes. And that’s OK.'”

She’s had lots of support from her friends as well, famous and otherwise, with Teddi counting Kyle Richards as her rock, revealing that it was actually Kyle who helped her getting into Cedars Sinai hospital on short notice to undergo brain surgery.

“Kyle has been there nonstop,” the podcast host gushed, noting that Garcelle Beauvais, who just announced her exit from RHOBH has yet to reach out.

Dorit Kemsley, who Teddi previously called out for not reaching out, since has, along with Erika Jayne, Vicki Gunvalson and even Denise Richards, which she said was a “little bit of a shocker.”

While June 1 was supposed to mark a pivotal point in Teddi’s treatment plan, signaling what would be next for the former reality star, the discovery of additional tumors changes things a bit. Still, Teddi is looking forward to when treatment is over, telling Us it’s that sense of normalcy she’s craving most

“Just the regular stuff, back to normal. I want to try new things, travel more with the kids, keep building a life and doing the best that we can, and have fun together,” Teddi said. “That’s my goal.”