Teddi Mellencamp once had to be disciplined by her father in front of Hollywood stars.
Teddi recalled the incident while discussing her unmasking as Calla Lily on The Masked Singer with People on February 4. “Sean Penn and Madonna were staying at our house,” she said. “I went out for a morning horse ride, and my dad was like, ‘Be back in three hours.’ Three hours felt like six to me. I saw his car pulling into the barn when I was still riding. On his face, I could tell he was angry.”
“My dad didn’t say anything on the way home,” she added. “I was wondering what he would say and do. Then we arrived at dinner, where everyone else was eating with him, and he said right there in front of them, ‘I’m taking your birthday away.'”
Teddi was diagnosed with stage 2 melanoma in 2022 and has undergone seventeen surgeries for the invasive skin cancer. In April 2025, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum revealed that her cancer had metastasized to her brain and lungs, prompting surgery along with ongoing immunotherapy.
John Mellencamp has been a constant source of support for his daughter during this challenging journey. “He’s consistent,” she said. “Every day since I’ve been in the hospital, he calls me. Even on days when I don’t want to answer the phone, he makes sure to call and let me know how much he supports me. He tells me, ‘You can do this and you’re a fighter.’ John likes to remind me that we are Mellencamps, who can do anything.”