Teddi Mellencamp Details Emotions of Masked Singer Amid Cancer Battle

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Teddi Mellencamp is amazed at how much she blossomed on The Masked Singer.

Following the February 4th episode of the singing competition where it was revealed that Erika Jayne was the Calla Lily performer, the 44-year-old spoke about her experience. This came after she was diagnosed with stage two melanoma in 2022, which later spread to her brain and lungs, and resulted in several brain tumors.

Teddi told TopMob News’ Will Marfuggi in a recent interview that being on the show was incredibly empowering, proving to herself that she’s capable of achieving anything she sets her mind to.

Being on The Masked Singer gave her something positive to focus on during a difficult time. She shared that her and her soon-to-be ex-husband Edwin Arroyave’s kids—Slate, 13, Cruz, 11, and Dove, 5—all love the show, and it gave her a reason to leave the house.

Just thinking about it makes me tear up, but being able to go through that experience and come out stronger showed me I could handle anything, even when things were really tough at the time. It feels really good to know I could do that.

She went on to say that everyone involved with the show was amazing. She felt really supported and cared for, and described the atmosphere as being filled with love.

That felt completely different from her time on Real Housewives. She joked that show was all about people constantly fighting, while on the Fox competition series, the focus was genuinely on helping contestants improve and reach their full potential.

The show also let Teddi perform her father, John Cougar Mellencamp’s, famous 1982 song, “Jack and Diane,” on the February 4th episode. John, a Grammy winner himself, even came to watch her sing. Though Teddi doesn’t usually consider herself a singer, she impressed her father, who told her, “That was a lot better than I expected!”

Honestly, I was just thrilled to be out there having a good time and, even more amazingly, singing one of my dad’s songs. It’s something so few people ever get to experience, and I feel incredibly lucky!

Reviewing the episode later brought up a lot of feelings for the reality star, who realized how much she had changed since filming began.

Teddi said she was very nervous during the show, and you could even see her hands shaking on camera. She felt good about watching it back, though, because she could see how much she had improved since then.

She’s thankful to be physically much healthier now that doctors haven’t found any signs of cancer. However, she’s still struggling with the emotional effects of her experience.

Teddi explained that she’s finally processing her past experiences and allowing herself to feel the emotions connected to them.

At first, you’re just holding on tight and trying to get through it,” she said. “You don’t have time to reflect on everything you’ve overcome. It’s like being in survival mode for a while. Then, when you finally get a chance to pause and look back, it surprises you because you weren’t prepared for how much you’d been through.

With The Masked Singer finished, does Teddi have any regrets or things she wishes she’d done differently?

Looking back, she wished she’d felt a little more self-assured or powerful going into the experience. However, she ultimately felt good about being herself. She’s not a professional singer, and she just wanted to go and enjoy it.

As a huge fan of The Masked Singer, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the reveal of all the new contestants! So, if you want to find out who’s hitting the stage this season, keep reading – I’m excited to share who’s ready to perform!

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2026-02-06 03:17