Teddi Mellencamp’s cancer treatment is impacting more than just her physical health – it’s taking a toll on her intimacy too, and she’s not shy about talking about it.
The 43-year-old former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star recently opened up on her Diamonds in the Rough podcast about how her stage 4 cancer journey has unexpectedly collided with her sex drive. And let’s just say, it’s not the kind of side effect most people expect.
“After going through all of this, they’ve changed my medication, I have a sex drive. It’s really hard for me,” Teddi confessed. She went on to share that she even tried pleasuring herself, only to find it completely exhausting. “I tried it the night before last, and I was like, ‘Well, I can’t do this again.’ I achieved, but I had to achieve it in a way that wasn’t the way it was set up to achieve.”
Teddi Mellencamp’s cancer treatment is clearly hitting her in all the intimate places, and she’s bravely keeping it real about how difficult that can be – not just physically, but emotionally too. She reflected on how sex and intimacy can turn into a routine, especially when communication breaks down between partners. “If you don’t speak up for what it is that you want or what it is that you’re looking for, most likely your partner is going to do it wrong,” she said. “And not just sex, but, like, intimacy or comfort.”
Teddi, who shares three kids – Slate, 12, Cruz, 10, and Dove, 5 – with her estranged husband Edwin Arroyave, recently completed radiation treatment for brain cancer. She posted a video on Instagram ringing the traditional end-of-treatment bell with the caption, “Ringing the bell can signify a major phase of treatment – today was my last day of radiation. 5 more rounds of immunotherapy to go. Love you all for the kind messages.”
But it’s not all bells and breakthroughs. Earlier this week, Teddi dropped another emotional moment on her Two Ts in a Pod podcast, talking about how her dad – yes, rock legend John Mellencamp – called her up with some dark but oddly sweet family business. “Finally, I answer, I’m like, ‘I’m in the bath. Let me live a little,’” she joked. “He goes, ‘I just want to make sure you’re going to be in our group family mausoleum.’”
Yep, her dad was planning her burial. But Teddi took it in stride, even laughing a bit as she recalled the convo. She added that she wants her children to be included in the plans, too, and her dad had it all figured out – top five in the middle, with little spots around the family mausoleum for everyone else.
Despite the heavy topics and emotional challenges, Teddi Mellencamp cancer treatment hasn’t crushed her spirit. In fact, she’s still fighting hard and keeping hope alive. On Instagram, she reminded her followers, “Of course I know the chances but I truly believe with my whole heart, I will beat this and watch my kids graduate.”
What stands out most in everything she’s shared isn’t just the raw honesty or even the humor – it’s the vulnerability. Teddi is walking through one of the scariest times in life, and yet she’s opening up conversations most people are too shy to even whisper. From navigating intimacy during illness to planning her final resting place, she’s laying it all bare. And that’s something worth talking about.
What do you think about how Teddi’s handling such a tough journey?
