Teddi Mellencamp said this season’s appearance on “The Masked Singer” gave him “a little bit of a sense of life” as he continues his battle with cancer.
The “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” alum, 44, was eliminated from Wednesday’s episode of “The Masked Singer” and revealed herself as Cara Lily in the show’s dramatic final moments.
After removing his mask, Teddy told the judges that despite his intense battle with cancer, it didn’t prevent him from appearing on the reality show.
“I’m obviously not a singer by trade, so that part was a challenge for me,” she said. “Plus, most of my memory has been distorted since the brain surgery. So, although I was a little nervous, I was excited to push myself out of my comfort zone and try something new. And I felt like it made me feel a little more alive.”
During his appearance on the show, Teddy sang Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song” and his father John Mellencamp’s “Jack and Diane.”
Clues to her identity included a key to Diamond’s house, mentions of her time on “RHOBH,” and mentions that she has a famous family of singers.
“For a while, I resented him for not making my life easier,” Teddy said of John, 74, during the show’s packaging, still disguised as Carla Lily. “And there were years when we were estranged.”
She added that nothing is good between the father and daughter duo at the moment. “I appreciate everything he does for me. It makes me tough and strong and always on time for dinner.”
On Thursday’s episode of the Two Ts in a Pod podcast, Teddi revealed that she hasn’t told anyone other than her father, or her three children with estranged husband Edwin Arroyave, that she’s on the show.
“Mr. Cruz knew within seconds,” she said of her 11-year-old son. “And we were watching ‘The Masked Singer,’ because that’s their favorite show, and Cruise said, ‘Mom! Mom! It’s you!'”
In an interview with People magazine, Teddy said he wanted to “push myself out of my comfort zone” after going through a grueling “physical and mental battle” during his battle with cancer.
“So it was really great for me to go out and do something new and try something new,” she told the outlet.
The former Bravolebrian came forward in October 2022 with a diagnosis of stage 2 melanoma.
She underwent more than a dozen surgeries to deal with the disease, including an emergency operation in 2025 to remove several tumors in her brain.
In October last year, Teddy revealed that he had been cured of cancer.
But when John recently said his daughter was “really sick” and “suffering,” Teddy clarified that her cancer had not returned.
“No, there’s no evidence of cancer yet,” she said on a podcast last month. “But I’m still considered stage 4, and I’m on immunotherapy. Basically, nothing has changed except that I still don’t feel well. I don’t feel well… I wish I was feeling better by now, but I really don’t.”
Teddy also said he plans to undergo therapy to help him cope with the difficult journey of cancer.
