Teddi Mellencamp recalls dad John punishing her in front of Hollywood royalty

Teddi Mellencamp once had to be disciplined by her dad in front of Hollywood stars.

Teddi recalled the incident while discussing her unmasking as Calla Lily on The Masked Singer on Wednesday, February 4, with People.

"Sean Penn and Madonna were staying at our house," she told the outlet. "I went to go riding my horse in the morning, and my dad was like, 'Okay, be back in three hours.' Three hours as a kid [goes by fast], so all of a sudden I see his car pulling into the barn where I was riding probably six hours later. I could tell on his face he was pissed."

"He didn't talk to me at all in the car," she added of John Mellencamp. "I'm sitting there wondering, 'What's he going to say? What's he going to do?' Then he walks me right up to where we're having dinner, and he's like, 'Wash your hands, then sit down and have dinner with us.' And in front of everybody, he says, 'I'm taking your birthday away.'"

Teddi was diagnosed with stage 2 melanoma in 2022 and has had 17 surgeries for the invasive skin cancer.

In April 2025, the the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum revealed that the cancer had metastasized to her brain and lungs, for which she’s undergone surgery along with ongoing immunotherapy.

John has been a constant support for his daughter amid the challenging journey.

"He's consistent," she said. "Every day since I've been in the hospital, he's called me. Even on the days that I don't want to answer the phone, even on the days that I feel like I can't do anything, I know that he's going to call and I have the choice to answer or not. But either way, he's been so uplifting. He's like, 'You can do this and you're a fighter.' He likes to say, 'You're a Mellencamp. Mellencamps can to do anything.'"