Teddi Mellencamp splits from mystery boyfriend Ricci Rea amid cancer battle: 'I don’t have the capacity'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Teddi Mellencamp has called it quits with her new boyfriend Ricci Rea just a month after confirming she has a man in her life.
The 44-year-old 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' alum revealed the breakup on the July 11 episode of her 'Diamonds in the Rough' podcast, citing her ongoing cancer battle and emotional limitations.
Teddi Mellencamp says she ‘had to call things off’ with Ricci Rea
Speaking with co-host Erika Jayne, Teddi Mellencamp said the relationship ended before the media could catch up to them.
“You guys, [the] press needs to get on it a little bit faster because by the time they figured out who my mystery man was, we’re already done,” Mellencamp said, adding, “I had to call things off.”
She added, “All of a sudden, I open up the freaking worldwide web. I’m like, ‘The mystery man.’ Oh, now you guys figured it out.”
When Erika Jayne asked what went wrong, Mellencamp explained that her relationship with Ricci was progressing faster than she was emotionally ready for.
“Right now, it started getting to the point where it’s starting to get a little bit more serious. I was like, ‘I don’t have the capacity for this right now,’” Mellencamp said. “He’s a really nice guy, couldn’t be a nicer guy.”
Teddi Mellencamp reveals fatigue from cancer treatment leaves her with little energy for dating
Teddi Mellencamp, who is undergoing immunotherapy following radiation treatments for stage 4 cancer, shared that her health challenges have made rest a priority over dating.
“I don’t feel my best. So, when I have downtime, I want to rest. It’s not even, like, about a need right now, and I think that’s the crazy thing about this,” Mellencamp said.
She clarified that Rea had done “nothing” wrong during their short relationship. “Nothing dramatic happened, other than the press being a little slow on it,” she added.
This marked Mellencamp’s first public relationship since her 2024 split from husband Edwin Arroyave, with whom she shares three children—Slate, 12, Cruz, 10, and Dove, 10.
Teddi Mellencamp's message to potential partners
Teddi Mellencamp opened up about the reality of dating while facing a serious illness.
“I’ve had to make it clear to people I’ve dated [that] this is where I am. This is what I’ve got,” she said.
“If it’s enough for you, great. If it’s not enough, I won’t be upset. I mean, yes, my feelings will probably be hurting, but this is all I got to give. And if that’s enough, great," she said.
Mellencamp also hinted at future possibilities, saying, “Who knows? Three months from now, something else may be happening."
She added, "I don’t know. But in the way I’m feeling right this moment, the second I’m done working with my kids and doing all the stuff that I need to do, I want to lay.”
Teddi Mellencamp shares health update
In a previous interview in April, Teddi Mellencamp revealed she had been given 50/50 odds of surviving her cancer.
In the latest interview, she shared encouraging news from her latest scan. “The tumors have not grown at all, if anything they're shrinking, I'm in the one-percent range of improvement,” she said.
Despite progress, she noted doctors have told her she still has stage 4 cancer. Four tumors were removed from her brain in February, but others remain in her brain and lungs.
Mellencamp, a certified wellness coach and personal trainer, said she continues to hold onto hope.
“I think I believe I'm going to go in and they're gonna say ‘wow, it's a miracle and you no longer have any cancer,’” she said.
