Teddi Mellencamp make her mark on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hillsthrough her fiery friendships and some dramatic dinners. Unfortunately fans were in for a shock when they found out that she was leaving the show, and not by choice. She revealed in 2024 that her contract did not get renewed, and she said:
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Of course when I got the news, I was sad. It feels like a breakup almost.
In fact, she found out the heartbreaking news through her 'non television' friends.
Her life after RHOBH has been drastically different and far more serious. Since her 2022 cancer diagnosis, Mellencamp has kept fans updated on her health journey, which recently took a devastating turn.
Doctors have discovered four more tumours on her brain, adding to the already staggering total of surgeries and treatments she has endured.
A painful health journey
Teddi Mellencamp’s battle began in 2022 after she was persuaded by RHOBH co-star Kyle Richards to attend a long-overdue skin cancer screening. It was then that the doctors removed a concerning mole from her back. Shortly after, she was diagnosed with stage II melanoma.
What followed was a gruelling period of procedures and scans. According to People, Teddi underwent 20 surgeries and had 17 melanomas removed. She regularly shared her health journey with her followers on Instagram. In an October 2022 post, she wrote:
I continue to share this journey because I was a 90s teen, putting baby oil and iodine on my skin to tan it. Never wearing sunscreen or getting my moles checked until I was 40 years old.
In February 2025, after suffering from severe headaches, an MRI scan revealed multiple tumours on her brain. Doctors believed they had been growing for at least six months.
In a post-surgery update, she shared that four tumours had been removed, and more were discovered on her brain and lungs. She wrote:
This fight is not over, but that round has been won.
Yet she found solace in small victories, like returning to horseback riding with her daughter Slate before starting radiation therapy. In her own words:
When you're battling cancer or any sickness, mental health is just as important as physical.
As Teddi’s health battle intensified, she revealed exclusively to Us Weekly that her next major medical update is scheduled for June 1, when doctors will determine whether further treatment or surgery is needed.
Her support system
Teddi has shared many personal moments with Us Weekly, including an emotional look at her family life amid her diagnosis. She announced her separation from husband Edwin Arroyave in November 2024, just three months before she publicly revealed that doctors had found multiple brain tumours linked to her stage 4 melanoma. The two had been married for 13 years and share three children together.
Despite their split, Edwin moved back in to support her and the kids. She shared:
It wasn’t really the time to be fighting over emails.
He’s been extremely kind and helping with the kids.
They now live under the same roof again, with Teddi in the main bedroom and Edwin in a guest room.
RHOBH viewers might remember her saying, 'Moms always come back.' But, heartbreakingly, Teddi admitted:
I have not said that line to them since I’ve been back [from the hospital]... I don’t want to lie to them. And I don’t know.
The Us Weekly interview also revealed who has—and hasn't—reached out to Teddi. Kyle Richards has been by her side constantly, even helping her get emergency care. Erika Jayne and Denise Richards checked in, but Garcelle Beauvais did not. Teddi recalled:
Dorit [Kemsley] has now. I [said], ‘don’t know how quick I’ll be to forgive, but sure.’
Despite the gravity of her situation, Teddi has found comfort in the silver linings—reconnecting with Edwin, laughter through shared memories, and support from loved ones. Speaking of Edwin, she said:
He’s been there for me a hundred percent, he’s been there for the kids, and we’re back to laughing. We call it the “Divorce Chronicles.”
Next to Edwin, Teddi’s biggest source of motivation remains her children, who’ve been by her side through every turn in this journey.
Who are Teddi's children?
Teddi’s children—Slate (12), Cruz (10), and Dove (5)—have become central to her strength. As Hello! reported, she has spoken lovingly of them in her posts and interviews, often highlighting how much they ground her in the most difficult times.
Slate, born in October 2012, was Teddi and Edwin’s first child together. Teddi has described her as having 'a warmth, a kindness, and a loving glow' that uplifts everyone around her. Their son Cruz was born in August 2014 after the couple went through multiple rounds of failed IVF. He had a difficult start to life, spending several weeks in the NICU due to a heart condition, but is now a healthy and energetic ten-year-old.
Their youngest, Dove, arrived in February 2020, also following a difficult IVF journey. Her birth came as a surprise to the couple, and she too spent time in the NICU after being diagnosed with lamboid craniosynostosis—a condition that required neurosurgery. Thankfully, she has since made a full recovery.
Now, amid Teddi’s battle with cancer, all three children have become her greatest source of comfort. She has spoken about how she ensures they are supported through therapy, saying:
I’m not equipped to fully handle this… It is helping because they ask me questions that I probably wouldn’t have thought to give them answers to.
While she’s unsure whether they understand the full scope of her illness, she added:
I can’t imagine any of them living without me.
A source has told Daily Mail that Teddi has written up a will given the circumstances, to make sure her children are taken care of. They revealed:
Teddi does now have a will. Everything she has will obviously go to her family and towards the care of her children.
She is aware that there is a very real possibility that she will not make it through this.
Moreover they added that her divorce with Edwin is 'off the table'.
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Sources used:
People: Inside Teddi Mellencamp's Cancer Journey: Everything the Reality Star Has Said About Her Diagnosis and Treatment
Us Weekly: Teddi Mellencamp Has 4 More Brain Tumors: Inside Her Cancer Battle as She Fights for Her Life (Exclusive)
Hello!: Meet Teddi Mellencamp's three young kids amid health battle
Bustle: Teddi Mellencamp Has Been Very Vocal About Why She Left RHOBH
