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Teddi Mellencamp has been open about her melanoma battle since first revealing her diagnosis in 2022. In February 2025, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star — who has undergone multiple surgeries — shared that doctors had discovered several brain tumors. That April, she confirmed that her cancer had progressed to stage four.
On April 2, she shared a health update on her Instagram Stories while lying in bed, thanking fans for their support. “I woke up to so many kind messages,” she said. “I just want to say thank you guys so much. So many messages about how strong I am. And I gotta tell you, some days I feel really really strong and some days I feel really really sad and alone. And I think that’s a normal part of what any of us are going through, and that’s okay. Stage 4 cancer can be scary.”
Mellencamp previously described her skin cancer diagnosis as a “wake-up call,” admitting that she never wore sunscreen or had her moles checked until she was 40. She urged her followers to take their health seriously, saying:
“Moral of this story: if a doctor says, ‘come in every 3 months,’ please go in every 3 months. I so badly wanted to blow this off. ‘What could happen in 3 months?’ I thought. Apparently a lot,” she shared on Instagram in October 2022. She also expressed her desire to “share this journey,” explaining that, as a “90s teen,” she used to slather baby oil and iodine on her skin to get a tan.
Find out more about Mellencamp’s diagnosis and her current health status below.
Teddi Mellencamp Was Diagnosed with Melanoma
Mellencamp was diagnosed with stage 2 melanoma in March 2022. She revealed she had a spot on her back removed after her friend Kyle Richards advised her to get checked because it looked like skin cancer. She also revealed photos of the spot and what it looked like after it was removed. “I am doing my best to stay present and positive as I head to [film] today. Grateful that I am busy to keep my mind from racing as I await the results,” she wrote at the time. “I find strength in being honest with you all and hope this helps others. Please let this be a reminder to take action on your own skin.”
In Oct. 2022, the television star revealed she was diagnosed with melanoma again, in an Instagram post that included a photo of her with a bandage. “Melanoma awareness update,” she wrote in the caption. “Despite my anxiety, I listened to the doctors and went in for my 3-month skin check last week since my previous melanoma. They said I had another abnormal spot near my last one so they did a biopsy. I got the call this morning: Stage 2 melanoma.”
“Now, next Wednesday I go to an oncologist to have it cut out and come up with a game plan on next steps,” she continued. “Of course, this is all pending some additional testing and biopsies of other spots nearby that were taken today.”
She also took to her Instagram Story to further update her followers around the same time. “So I just finished my workout and got the call from the doctor that that other spot came back melanoma and they asked me to come right in. So I’m here,” she said as she held back tears, in a video. “I’m facing my fears and making sure that I stay on top of these doctor’s appointments and I’ll keep you guys posted. It’s so important. go get your skin checks.”
Mellencamp ended up needing a total of 12 melanomas removed over a period of eight months, after the initial March 2022 diagnosis.
What Is Melanoma?
Melanoma is “a type of skin cancer that develops when melanocytes (the cells that give the skin its tan or brown color) start to grow out of control,” according to the American Cancer Society. The website also states that melanoma is “much less common than some other types of skin cancers,” but that makes it “more dangerous because it’s much more likely to spread to other parts of the body if not caught and treated early.”
How Long Has Teddi Mellencamp Been Sick?
Mellencamp revealed she was first treated for skin cancer in March 2022. By Oct. of the same year, she revealed she received another diagnosis and ended up having multiple surgeries to have a total of 12 removed over a period of eight months. In Dec. 2022, she revealed she was cancer-free and not genetically predisposed to other cancers. She also encouraged others to be on top of their skin health checks.
“During the pandemic, we avoided things that we thought weren’t essential. But skin checks are essential,” she said at the time. “We’ve seen how quickly it can turn from one melanoma to 12. So when your doctor says, ‘See you in three months,’ it’s three months.”
How Is Teddi Mellencamp Today?
In Sept. 2023, Mellencamp revealed that she received another melanoma diagnosis. She shared a selfie in which she looked upset and another photo that showed the spot on her back that had recently been biopsied. “I found out late yesterday afternoon that the most recent spot biopsied is another melanoma,” she wrote in the caption of the post. “I can’t even remember if this is the 12th or 13th one. At this point, I am starting to black-out these memories like a portion of my childhood. I slept maybe 2 hours last night because my mind was racing.”
“I am so grateful for my 3-month checkup because we caught this one early,” she continued. “This means another surgery next week and additional biopsies. As I lay here with tears in my eyes and worry, I know my kids will be up soon. I have a podcast at 10. Life goes on. I am also reminded of my faith and the reminder I keep telling myself, “We can do hard things.” We have so many beautiful things to look forward to, so if you woke up today feeling lost or scared, I encourage you to make a list of some of the things you are truly grateful for and what you are most excited about.”
One day after she revealed her 13th diagnosis, she shared a video of herself running and talking about her situation. “Even on your toughest days, movement will help get you through it,” she emotionally said. “I’ve been running the gamut of emotions since my latest melanoma diagnosis — and yes, there are moments I just want to stay in bed and ignore the world. But the world still turns no matter what, so getting out there and moving my body, releasing my emotions, fixing my mindset— that’s the key.”
“I’m all for positive manifestation, what you believe you can achieve, all that,” she continued. “But I’m also about having the hard conversations with ourselves. And I’m just thinking about all the things I can’t control — that I was turned down for life insurance or I haven’t written a last will and testament.”
“And I truly do believe it’ll be a long time before I ever need those things, but I have to do it. I have to take action and not talking about the hard things doesn’t make them go away, it just makes them fester,” she concluded. “But we can all do this together. We can fight the good fight.”
Mellencamp revealed that she had her 13th melanoma removed on December 26, 2023. She documented her hospital visit on her Instagram Story, and she showed photos of her surgery scars after the procedure. After the procedure, she said that the messages from fans “totally warmed my heart,” per PEOPLE. She also even though her back felt “tight” and she hoped that the surgery removed all of the cancer, she said she was glad to have done it. “I’m out of surgery. Now I’m just waiting to be discharged to the nursing facility. It’s pretty painful but I am so grateful that they did such a great job,” she said.
On February 12, the reality star shared on Instagram, “For the last several weeks I’ve been dealing with severe and debilitating headaches. Yesterday the pain was unbearable and required hospitalization. After a CT scan and MRI, doctors found multiple tumors on my brain, which they believe have been growing for at least 6 months.”
When Mellencamp updated her followers about the brain tumors in February 2025, she shared that two of the tumors were scheduled to be surgically removed that day. She also mentioned that “the remaining smaller tumors will be treated with radiation at a later date.”
She concluded, “I am blessed to be surrounded by my children, family, friends, doctors, nurses and surgeons who are doing everything possible to get me back into better health.”
In an interview with Us Weekly published on April 2, 2025, — the same day she confirmed her stage four diagnosis— Mellencamp shared that she was undergoing radiation and immunotherapy. She added that her medical team hoped to “find out for sure exactly where we stand on June 1.” Just two days later, the magazine reported that four additional tumors had been discovered during an emergency scan, prompting a change in her treatment plan.
Stage four cancer is the most advanced form of the disease, with a five-year survival rate of 35%, according to the American Cancer Society.
In October 2025, Teddi shared with fans that her stage 4 cancer was practically “gone” because there was no “detectable cancer.” However, in January 2026, her father, John Mellencamp, revealed on Joe Rogan‘s podcast that Teddi was “suffering” and “really sick.”
“It’s not f**king fun,” John said. “She’s got cancer in the brain, and she’s suffering right now.”
