Teddi Mellencamp is embarking on a bold new chapter in her romantic life. Indeed, the former "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star, who has courageously opened up about her ongoing battle with stage 4 cancer in recent months, has revealed that a new man has entered her world.
"I'm dating someone," Teddi announced on a June 3rd episode of her and Tamra Judge's podcast, "Two Ts In a Pod." "He's incredibly kind to me. He takes great care of me."
"He's a wonderful person," she continued, "not married, and without any children." She added that her enigmatic suitor is also a "very private individual." With children Slate, 12, Cruz, 10, and Dove, 5, from her marriage to Edwin Arroyave, Teddi admitted that she wanted to preempt the inevitable rumors and speculation surrounding her love life.
The reality star recounted her encounters with paparazzi over the past few months, finding them staking out her home and trailing her through Orange County in hopes of catching a glimpse of her and her new beau. On occasion, she confessed, she might flip them off and shoo them away, stating, "There's really no grand tale to tell here."
As for how her new partner is coping with the public scrutiny? It seemed he was well-aware of what he was signing up for. "I asked him, 'Should I even mention your name?'" Teddi recalled. "And he said, 'It's entirely up to you. I know you're a public figure.'"
Teddi's new romance blooms less than three months after the Bravo personality candidly discussed the challenges she's faced in dating during her cancer journey. "I went on four or five dates with this guy," Teddi said of a previous romance, whom she named "Bob," during a March episode of her and Erika Jayne's podcast, "Diamonds in the Rough." "He was fantastic, funny, and kind. The last time I saw him was when I met up with him and his friends to watch the Super Bowl."
However, just two days after their football watch party, the 43-year-old found herself calling Edwin—whom she split from in November—to take her to the hospital. There, she received the shocking diagnosis of multiple brain tumors. (Since then, she's undergone surgery to remove the four tumors but announced in March that her cancer had spread to her lungs.)
After informing Bob about her health scare, the initial spark between them quickly faded. "Bob called me and said, 'I talked to my mom, and we both need to know if you'll be in a position to have more children,'" Teddi recounted of their phone conversation, which took place while she was still hospitalized. "I cried and said, 'You're really hurting my feelings. I don't think this is the time for that conversation.'"
