Monica Schipper/Getty for Women's Cancer Research Fund; Teddi Mellencamp/Instagram Teddi Mellencamp debuted another tattoo amid her battle with cancer On Instagram, the former reality star, who is undergoing treatment for stage four cancer, got the new ink after removing 17 spots of melanoma Mellencamp later shared how the tat nods to her dad, John Mellencamp Teddi Mellencamphas added another meaningful tattoo to her collection. On May 16, the formerReal Housewives of Beverly Hillsstar, 43,debuted a tattooon her back near her massive surgery scar that she got after removing 17 differentspots of melanoma. Mellencamp's new ink is a simple line down her spine that reads a special message that connects to her dad,John Mellencamp. PerPage Six, theTwo Ts in a Podpodcaster said in a now-deleted Instagram Stories post that the ink reads "Life is short even in its longest days" from her father's 2008 song "Longest Days." Tattoo artist Wesley from Los Angeles' Le Papillon Studio did the ink, as confirmed by Mellencamp's tagged post. Teddi Mellencamp/Instagram "Can you guess what my new tat says? We did family tat day yesterday and of course this is what I picked," Mellencamp captioned her post, which showed her posing in the mirror to show off the tattoo in full. In an interview on NPR'sFresh Airpodcast, John, 73, shared how his grandmother, who was later diagnosed with dementia, inspired the track and lyrics. "One afternoon, I was laying in bed with her, and she said let's pray, and I said okay. And so she starts praying, and she says God, you know, Buddy and I are ready to come home." Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty This past April, Mellencamp got amatching tattoowith her close friend and former costar Kyle Richards. In Instagram photos shared by Richards, the two can be seeing posing with their forearm art. In an episode of herDiamonds in the Roughpodcast withRHOBHJstar Erika Jayne, it was revealed that Mellencamp was"medically cleared"to get a new tattoo despite her current health condition. Kyle Richards/Instagram Mellencamp has been battling cancer since 2022 following a diagnosis of melanoma, which metastasized to her brain and lungs. Mellencamp has not been on many public outing since her diagnosis. She made her return to the red carpet for the April 28 event, An Unforgettable Evening 2025 Gala, a fundraiser for the Women's Cancer Research Fund. For her big moment, the star wore a suit and alsoposed with her buzz cut. Earlier this month, Mellencamp made a candid social media post aboutwearing wigs, sharing that she decision to wear or to not wear a hair piece depends on the day. Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The PEOPLE Appis now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! "Crying days I tend to pick the wig," she said. "The highs and lows of treatment for stage 4 brain and lung tumors are pretty extreme," added Mellencamp, who underwent brain surgery that left her with visible scars on her head. Thelatest update on Mellencamp's healthcame on a May 14 episode of her podcast with Tamra Judge, in which she said that the tumor in her lungs have "shrunk so much you can barely even see" them. She added that while her "body is responding to everything," she does need to live on immunotherapy for the next two years. According to theAmerican Cancer Society, immunotherapy is a treatment that uses a person's own immune system to fight cancer. Mellencamp will also need to get scans every three months. Read the original article onPeople
