TEDDI Mellencamp has confirmed she split with her new boyfriend to focus on her cancer treatment.
The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills alum and mom of three, 44, starred on the Bravo hit series for three seasons and was later diagnosed stage 4 skin cancer.
RHOBH star Teddi Mellencamp has split from her boyfriend[/caption]
She said she didn’t have capacity for love amid her cancer treatment[/caption]
Teddi and hubby Edwin Arroyave have put their divorce on hold[/caption]
Teddi revealed she had split from boyfriend Ricci Rea “who couldn’t be a nicer guy,” because she did not have the “capacity” to manage her cancer treatment while maintaining a new relationship.
She made the admission on her Diamonds in the Rough podcast which she co-hosts with her former RHOBH co-star, Erika Jayne.
“It started getting to the point where it’s starting to get a little bit more serious,” Teddi admitted, adding that she realized, “I don’t have the capacity for this right now.”
She added that Ricci was “a really nice guy,” but “I don’t feel my best, so when I have downtime I want to rest.”
Teddi explained how her cancer treatment has affected her relationships and how she’s had to set boundaries with others.
“I’ve had to make it clear to people I’ve dated [that] this is where I am. This is what I’ve got,”
“If it’s enough for you, great. If it’s not enough, I won’t be upset. I mean, yes, my feelings will probably be hurting, but this is all I got to give. And if that’s enough, great.”
Even though she split from Ricci, the reality star and daughter of rocker John Mellencamp revealed she is dating a new man.
“I haven’t had to say any of those things, but he is really sweet and kind,” she said.
She spoke of a date that she went on recently with her new man.
“He came and picked us up this week from the [horse] show, and he could tell that I was down. He sat and watched, like, one million hours of horse show rounds. He’s just a good guy,” she said.
Teddi previously her life with then-husband Edwin Arroyave and her three kids Slate, 12, Cruz, 10, and Dove, 5, until she left the show in 2020.
Teddi’s cancer battle
Teddi Mellencamp was diagnosed with stage 2 melanoma in 2022, and had 17 spots removed. Three years later, after suffering from “severe and debilitating headaches,” the reality star discovered the cancer had spread to her brain. Four brain tumors were immediately removed, but doctors later discovered three more brain tumors and three tumors on her lungs. In April 2025, she announced her cancer was stage 4. The remaining tumors have shrunk from treatment, and Teddi says she’s “feeling good and happy.” Teddi hopes she will become cancer-free in the near future. “Doctors believe I will be healed if everything stays on course,” she told fans.
She split from Edwin last November, and though the divorce was initially messy, the exes are now getting along well as she undergoes cancer treatment.
Teddi revealed earlier this year the disease had spread to her brain and lungs, resulting in her undergoing emergency surgery.
Teddi was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma[/caption]
The cancer spread to her brain and lungs[/caption]
