Kyle Richards says Teddi Mellencamp is more than a friend and former castmate. She’s her sister.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills mom shed more light on the relationship in a recent sit-down for Glamour magazine, in which she interviewed Teddi and addressed some of the misconceptions about her longtime bestie.
“I always say Teddi’s the best thing that ever came out of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills for me,” Kyle revealed in the July 17 Q&A. “I think people are surprised at just how strong of a friendship we have. She’s a sister to me. She’s family. I share everything with her, and I trust her with my life.”
Kyle Richards says she’s gotten “to know the real” Teddi Mellencamp
Kyle and Teddi’s friendship began in 2017, when the latter joined the RHOBH (Season 8). The pair immediately developed a tight bond that was unlike many of Kyle’s on-screen friendships.
“I’ve had friendships with other Housewives, but with some of them I still had to be a little cautious,” Kyle said. “With Teddi, there was never any of that. It was automatic: We’re friends, and we trust each other. It feels like we’ve been friends our whole lives.”
Kyle said she was “fortunate” to know Teddi outside the Housewives and podcast spheres, as she’s gotten to see the “many aspects of [Teddi’s] personality” — something most Bravo fans never get to experience.
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“There are so many things people don’t realize about Teddi,” Kyle explained. “She’s extremely intelligent. She’s an amazing writer… She’s also an incredible mother and friend.
“I think when people get to know Teddi at first, like they did on Housewives and her podcast, they only see one side,” Kyle continued. “I’m fortunate to know the real Teddi… Teddi comes off so strong that I don’t think people realize she’s a very sensitive person. She masks it very well, but she is. When Teddi was sick, people would sometimes still say mean comments. I’m like, What is wrong with people? She is sensitive, and she’s a human being. We all are. She comes across so tough that I think people forget that.”
Teddi Mellencamp’s Skin Cancer Battle
It’s been five years since Teddi left RHOBH, but her friendship with Kyle has only gotten stronger. This was further demonstrated in early 2025, after Teddi was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. The mother of three announced the heartbreaking news in February, less than three years after Kyle urged her to get checked for melanoma. Teddi recalled the moment in a 2022 interview with Extra, saying Kyle expressed concern after noticing discoloration on Teddi’s back.
“I was running with Kyle Richards, actually, and she was like, ‘Hey, one of your spots is, like, black,” Teddi said. “You need to go to the dermatologist and get it checked.’ We went in, and immediately, they biopsied it, and it came back melanoma.”
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Teddi spent the following years battling melanoma, undergoing various treatments and more than a dozen excisions. In February, Teddi revealed the cancer had metastasized, resulting in multiple tumors in her brain and lungs. She has since had surgeries to remove the masses and is undergoing immunotherapy.
Teddi Mellencamp navigates her health issues with Kyle Richards’ support
Although Kyle praised Teddi for maintaining resilience, she admitted that the health issue has caused a few moments of tension.
“After you’d just had your surgery and were on steroids, we had to remind each other—your support group—that we were going to get our feelings hurt sometimes,” Kyle told Teddi during their Glamour interview. “That you wouldn’t always be in a good mood, and steroids can make you feel angry or aggressive. And then I spent the night there, and you woke up and looked at me and said, ‘What are you still doing here?’ And I was like, ‘I don’t want to be here either, Ted!’ I was like, Uh-oh, I’m getting my feelings hurt…”
Teddi confessed she tried to “block out” those moments, and most of her hospital stay was a blur. The Indiana native said she has mellowed out quite a bit over the past few months, and it’s thanks in large part to her support group.
“Being able to laugh and joke, and not take things as seriously as I used to in those moments, has helped,” she said. “I attribute a lot of that to my friends and my kids being able to know what makes me laugh. They know what I need. That’s why you’ve got to have the close ones close by.”
Learn more about Teddi’s cancer battle and the support she’s receiving from her fellow Bravolebs.