Reality TV star and professional accountability coach (aka your friend who texts you at 6 a.m. to ask if you’ve had kale yet), Teddi Mellencamp, has revealed that she’s been given a “50/50” shot at beating cancer—and let’s just say, she is not vibing with those numbers.
The 43-year-old former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star—yes, the one who always looked like she had her life together, but was probably crying in a Tesla like the rest of us—shared that she’s been diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma, which has spread to her lungs and brain. And in true Housewives fashion, she’s fighting it with a full glam squad of radiation and immunotherapy.
“I asked the doctor, you know, very casually, like I was ordering a latte, ‘Sooo, how long I got?’” Teddi told Nightline. “And they hit me with a ‘50/50.’ Like, ma’am. Excuse me?? I wouldn’t even date someone with those odds, let alone fight for my life with them.”
But before you clutch your pearls too hard, Teddi got some clarification. Apparently, the reason for that shady-sounding stat is that immunotherapy has only been around for like 10 years, which in medical terms is basically still a baby. Like, “just learned to walk and maybe say ‘mama’” baby.
“The doctor basically said, ‘It’s not you, it’s the science. We just don’t have enough long-term data yet,’” Teddi explained, probably resisting the urge to Yelp-review cancer treatment. “So then I was like, okay fine—I’ll be the data. Let’s do this.”
So now, Teddi’s out here being brave, being blunt, and being her usual boss self—because if anyone can turn a 50/50 shot into a full-on Housewives comeback, it’s her. Somebody cue the inspirational montage and maybe throw in a sparkly confessional scene, because Teddi isn’t going down without a fight… or a sarcastic comment.
