Teddi Mellencamp has hit back at criticism about her dating someone new and fostering a dog, amid her cancer diagnosis.

The former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star was diagnosed with melanoma in 2022. Her condition advanced to stage four in February this year and metastasized to her lungs and brain. She then underwent major brain surgery that removed four tumors. However, she’s currently receiving immunotherapy treatment to reduce the tumors that couldn’t be removed.

Now, she continues to speak candidly about her cancer treatment and how her family has supported her during this time.

During Wednesday’s episode of her podcast with Tamra Judge, Two Ts in a Pod, she revealed that she’s now fostering a puppy named Maverick, “who’s amazing.” However, according to Mellencamp, fans have a lot of thoughts about the personal decisions she’s making.

“So people have been coming for me about fostering a dog, and they’ve been coming for me for dating,” she said. “Like, ‘The only thing she should be worried about right now are her kids and staying alive.’’

Judge then defended her friend from her critics, saying that “there’s not a day” when Mellencamp isn’t worried about her health and spending time with her family.

“Life doesn’t stop because you have cancer,” Judge added.

Mellencamp chimed in to defend her decisions, adding: “If I want to put myself in a situation where I’m staying busy so I’m not getting depressed, why have a problem with that? Clearly, I’m not going on dates while my kids are like sitting here looking up, waiting to hang out with me.”

She acknowledged that the criticism she reads on social media does “get” to her. However, her doctor, who now follows her on Instagram, has urged her not to listen to the backlash.

“[My doctor said] ‘I really don’t want you to think about your cancer as terminal. Just because that happened to somebody’s friend, aunt, brother, or cousin doesn’t mean that’s what’s happening to you. You don’t need to think like that. You should be going and having fun and trying to laugh,’” she recalled.

Mellencamp also gave an update about her condition, saying she’s “doing better and at least feeling better.” She’s also “working out four or five times a week.”

“Fostering this new puppy has been really nice, and it’s given the kids a new source of happiness,” she added.

Mellencamp and her estranged husband, Edwin Arroyave, share three young children: Slate, 12; Cruz, 10; and Dove, five.

Along with giving updates about her cancer treatment on social media, Mellencamp has detailed how her children are affected by her condition.

“I’m fighting for my life,” she said during an interview with Us Weekly in April. “But also for my family’s life and all the people I love.”

Throughout her time on Real Housewives, she would always tell her children, “Moms come back,” whenever they were upset about her leaving them for a work event.

“I have not said that line to them since I’ve been back [from the hospital],” she said. “They all know that I’m fighting the hardest I possibly can, but I haven’t said [it] because I don’t want to lie to them. And I don’t know.”

She added: “One of my coping mechanisms is being sarcastic. I’d rather joke about it and have the best possible outcome than be completely in denial and have my heart broken.”

In May, she took to her Instagram Stories to share a picture of herself in a blonde wig, while explaining some of the “extreme” highs and lows of her treatment.

“The day-to-day decision of wig versus no wig,” she captioned the post. “Crying days I tend to pick the wig.”

She added: “The highs and lows of treatment for stage four brain and lung tumours are pretty extreme. Please go get your yearly checks.”

Mellencamp then urged her followers to get booked in for their check-ups, saying: “It’s melanoma awareness month. No better time than now to book and remind a friend or loved one.”

Read More