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John Mellencamp Steadfastly Backs Daughter Teddi Stage 4 Cancer Treatment
John Mellencamp, 74, has been a constant source of strength for his daughter Teddi who is fighting stage 4 cancer.
During a recent chat with People, the veteran rocker disclosed that he keeps in touch with Teddi, who is a former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, on a daily basis. He called her last year “her hell.”
Besides, Teddi has got 10 lesions in her brain, and although they are at present not cancerous, they do affect her cognitive functions since they are located in the frontal lobe.
John Mellencamp and Teddi Mellencamp Update on Cancer Treatment
John Mellencamp was a bit more specific about the situation. His daughter Teddi now has “no cancer” but the doctor said that she still has lesions in her brain and therefore needs to continue the treatment.
John further explained, “It doesn’t mean she’s out of the woods. It just means at this moment there is no cancer. So she will have to continue the treatment for who knows how many years.”
Indeed, in October, Teddi gave a similar update on her podcast, Two Ts in a Pod. She admitted that there is “no detectable cancer” but she will still be on immunotherapy for at least another year so that the doctors can monitor her health.
John Mellencamp talks about cancer’s effect on daughter Teddi’s health and pleads with her to come home
John Mellencamp, talking to People magazine, said that his daughter Teddi’s character has been distorted as a result of the cancer treatment complications and side effects. “In essence, she is the same person but at the same time, she is different. It’s really tough,” he stated.
During an appearance on Today show, John made a plea to Teddi to come back home to Indiana from Los Angeles where she has been staying, however, she has so far refused to agree to his request.
He also gave a frank report about her health, saying, “You just can’t claim that you’ve had no cancer at all if you have the kind of cancer she has after three years.”
He spoke about the heavy impact of immunotherapy: “She is ok until she takes that (her immunotherapy) and then for about four days she really feels like hell and then she is normal after that.”
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John and Teddi Mellencamp Speak Frankly About Cancer Struggles and PTSD
At the beginning of this week, John Mellencamp made known on The Joe Rogan Experience that his daughter Teddi is “really sick” and “suffering,” putting it simply that her fight is “not f–king fun.”
Teddi shared with her listeners on her podcast that she is “struggling with massive PTSD” while continuing her battle with cancer.
In 2022, Teddi was first diagnosed with stage 2 melanoma and subsequently had more than 15 surgeries. After an MRI revealed the presence of tumors in her brain, emergency surgery was performed in February 2025 and she was given a 50 percent chance of survival, which her father prepared for the worst.
By October 2025, the stage 4 cancer Teddi had, which had metastasized to the lungs, was “gone.” She, however, explained that remission is not yet considered for her, as remission status is generally given after three years of no detectable cancer.