RHOBH’s Teddi Mellencamp Defends Dating Her New Man Amid Cancer Battle, Reacts to Tamra Judge Not Unfollowing Estranged Husband Edwin

Teddi Mellencamp spoke out against the backlash she’s received for dating and fostering a puppy during a recent episode of her shared podcast with Tamra Judge.

As she also reacted to Tamra, 58, continuing to follow her estranged husband, Edwin Arroyave, 48, on Instagram, even months after their breakup, the 43-year-old Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum defended herself amid her stage 4 cancer battle.

“People have been coming for me for fostering a dog and dating,” Teddi began on Two Ts in a Pod, via Page Six. “Like, ‘The only thing she should be worrying about right now is her kids and staying alive. How in the world could she be dating?”

“If I want to put myself in a situation where I’m staying busy so I’m not getting depressed, why have a problem with that?’” she wondered.

While the criticism does “bother” Teddi, she noted that her doctor had encouraged her to continue living her life.

“My doctor said, ‘Now that I follow you on Instagram, I see some of the stuff that people write,’” Teddi revealed. “‘I really don’t want you to think about your cancer as terminal. Just because that happened to somebody’s friend, aunt, brother, or cousin doesn’t mean that’s what’s happening to you. You should be having fun and trying to laugh.’”

Although Teddi has a long road ahead of her as she continues to be treated, she told her listeners she’s “feeling better” and able to work out four or five times a week.

As for fostering her new puppy, she said the experience had “been really nice” and given her three kids, Slate, 12, Cruz, 10, and Dove, 5, “a new source of happiness.”

Tamra also weighed in on the situation, making it clear that Teddi is worried about her health and focused on getting better each and every day.

During another moment of the podcast episode, while discussing the premiere episode of The Real Housewives of Miami and sharing their thoughts on Lisa Hochstein, 42, continuing to follow Marcus Jordan, 34, after his split from Larsa Pippen, 50, Teddi asked Tamra if she had unfollowed Edwin.

“Should I?” Tamra replied, per Us Weekly. “I mean, you haven’t even.”

“I understand where Larsa is coming from when it when it’s regarding Lisa,” Tamra continued. “They were best friends, or, I don’t know if they still are. You need to unfollow at that point. It’s not an acquaintance.”

While Larsa and Marcus’ split was quite contentious, with the latter allegedly sending threatening text messages to the former, Teddi and Edwin have remained on good terms. But, as Tamra explained, she “definitely would” unfollow Edwin if a troubled dynamic arose between them.

“If Edwin was, like, threatening you or something like that, or being really mean to you, then I definitely would,” Tamra noted