Teddi Mellencamp Talks Family Burial Plans Amid Cancer Battle

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Reality star Teddi Mellencamp revealed her father, musician John Mellencamp, is already planning her burial in the family mausoleum in Indiana as she battles cancer. During an episode of her podcast, “Two Ts in a Pod,” the 43-year-old former “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” cast member shared a particularly morbid conversation she had with her father.

“Yesterday my dad calls 11 times in a row. Finally, I answer, I’m like, ‘I’m in the bath. Let me live a little.’ He goes, ‘I just want to make sure you’re going to be in our group family mausoleum,'” Teddi recalled during the episode. She expressed concern about whether there would also be space in the mausoleum for her three children, Slate, 12, Cruz, 10, and Dove, 5, whom she shares with estranged husband Edwin Arroyave.

Her father reassured her, explaining that there would be accommodations for both immediate family and other relatives. “He’s like, ‘Well, there’s going to be the top five and then we’re gonna have little areas around it, and then that’s where everyone’s going to get buried,’” Teddi said.

When Teddi asked if she needed to finalize her decision soon, her father advised her, “You’re doing your will right now, so you may as well put it in there.” Teddi acknowledged John’s wishes, indicating she would travel to Indiana to visit the burial site. In a light-hearted moment, she joked about having the phrase “hot girls never die” engraved on her tombstone.

Teddi’s discussion about the mausoleum comes amid a challenging health journey. On March 6, she revealed via social media that doctors discovered three additional tumors in her brain and two in her lungs, stating, “These are all a direct result of my melanoma.” This news came after she had undergone surgery to remove four tumors in February.

“I’m fighting for my life, but also for my family’s life and all the people I love,” Teddi shared in an interview. She described her battle with cancer as “definitely the hardest thing” she has ever faced.

The update on her health follows her estrangement from Arroyave, which was announced in November 2024. The couple had been married for nearly 14 years before their separation.

Teddi’s candid conversations about her health and family highlight her struggle to manage both personal challenges and future planning amidst her ongoing treatment.