Teddi Mellencamp is opening up about how her cancer diagnosis is affecting her children.
During a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, the 43-year-old former reality star reflected on how her cancer battle has affected her relationship with her three children and the fears she has about the future.
“I’m like, ‘I don’t think you understand the debilitating pain that I feel some days thinking about the fact that … my kids,” she told the outlet before becoming choked up thinking about the idea of leaving her young children without a mother. “That is extremely frightening. My kids are young.”
The former “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star shares three children with her estranged husband, Edwin Arroyave — Slate, 12, Cruz, 10, and Dove, 5.
Mellencamp became teary when talking about time spent away from her children during her cancer battle. (Teddi Mellencamp Instagram)
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One of Mellencamp’s fears involves not getting to spend enough time with her children as she continues with the various treatments, including radiation, immunotherapy and surgeries to remove new tumors as the cancer spreads.
“I remember one day in the hospital I was like, ‘I feel like today might be Dove’s birthday,'” she explained. “And Edwin’s like, ‘It is. It’s her party today that you planned.’ I was like, ‘Can they please just let me out for today?'”
She explained that although Arroyave assured her they will “throw another one” when she’s out of treatment, Mellencamp said, “My heart broke because I’m wondering, ‘Will she remember that I wasn’t there?'”
In a separate interview with Extra, Mellencamp said her daughters are OK because they ask a lot of questions about her diagnosis, but her son “is a little bit confused because he’s not asking questions.”
Mellencamp shared that her son will check to see if she’s breathing at night. (Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)
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“The other day I was taking a sip of something, and he goes, ‘Can I have a sip?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, sure.’ And he goes, ‘Never mind, actually you’re contagious.’ I’m like, ‘I’m actually not contagious, bud,’” she explained. “He’ll come in in the middle of the night and check that I’m breathing.”
“I remember one day in the hospital I was like, ‘I feel like today might be Dove’s birthday. And Edwin’s like, ‘It is. It’s her party today that you planned.’ I was like, ‘Can they please just let me out for today?'”
— Teddi Mellencamp
Mellencamp was originally diagnosed with Stage 2 melanoma in October 2022 and underwent multiple surgeries to remove 16 melanomas before learning in February 2025 she had multiple brain tumors. After a procedure to remove the tumors, Mellencamp learned the cancer had spread to her lungs. She later learned she had four more tumors on her brain.
During a recent interview with “Nightline,” Mellencamp said doctors are telling her she has a “50/50” chance of surviving cancer.
“It’s one of my favorite things to ask: ‘How long I got? What are my chances?’ And they oftentimes say 50/50,” she said. She told the doctor, “50/50? I wouldn’t buy a car that’s only gonna drive 50% of the time. I don’t want this.’
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Mellencamp said doctors told her she had a 50/50 chance of surviving her cancer. (Paul Archuleta/Getty Images)
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“And [the doctor’s] like, ‘No, it’s only because that’s how long immunotherapy has been around. So, that’s how long the study has worked.’ So, that’s when I then try to find the positive.”
Lori Bashian is an entertainment production assistant for Fox News Digital.
