The 43-year-old reality star recently had five tumours removed before getting a symbolic tattoo

Teddi Mellencamp may be battling stage 4 cancer, but that hasn’t stopped her from expressing herself—this time, through a brand-new tattoo. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum, 43, revealed on a podcast that she got the ink done only after receiving a green light from her medical team.

Appearing on a recent episode of Diamonds in the Rough with Erika Jayne, Mellencamp explained the story behind her latest tattoo, which she proudly displayed on her forearm.

“So, always, I’ve wanted this tattoo, and I never got it,” she began, speaking candidly about the timing of the decision after undergoing intense treatment and surgeries, including the removal of five tumours from her brain and lungs.

Before she could go further, co-host and friend Erika Jayne, 53, stepped in to address what she knew would be a public concern. “Before everybody has a full mental break, she was allowed. She was medically cleared to get the tattoo, so don’t get crazy,” Jayne reassured listeners with her trademark bite.

Mellencamp then went on to explain the deeply personal—and quirky—meaning behind the design: a small knife. “My entire family and I have talked at all these holidays about wanting to get this little knife,” she said. “I want to, whenever I’m annoyed, just be able to go”—she mimed slashing the air—“and then anyone that knows me knows we’re done with this conversation.”

It’s not just a gesture. The ink is a symbol of boundary-setting and resilience, something Mellencamp’s fans have come to admire about her since she began sharing her cancer journey. “Plus,” she added with a laugh, “we had a song that went with it… and we’d go, ‘I think I like this little knife,’” referencing the track Little Life by Cordelia. She jokingly called it “the most obnoxious song ever,” but noted it’s become a sort of family anthem.

This latest ink wasn’t her only recent trip under the needle. Just a week earlier, Mellencamp and fellow RHOBH star Kyle Richards, 56, got matching tattoos at a birthday party for friend Jennifer Turner Leipart. The trio posed in a black-and-white Instagram photo on April 10, proudly showing off their new ink.

“We love our new tattoos! A perfect match! Yolo,” Richards wrote in the caption, embracing the moment with signature flair.

Teddi Mellencamp, a mother of three, first shared her melanoma diagnosis in 2022 via Instagram, revealing that she had stage II skin cancer. Since then, she has faced a harrowing escalation, including the discovery of multiple brain tumours earlier this year. Despite it all, she has remained a beacon of openness, humour, and strength, regularly updating fans on her battle through social media.

She continues to undergo treatment and monitor her health closely, but moments like this—a tiny tattoo with a big meaning—highlight the spirit that has helped her through some of the darkest times.

For Mellencamp, the tattoo is more than ink. It’s a declaration: Cancer may mark her journey, but it doesn’t get to write her story.