Teddi Mellencamp has revealed she was rushed to hospital after developing painful sores all over her body.
She later learned that she was suffering from Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), caused by a new drug.
Speaking of an episode of hers Two T’s in a Pod podcast, the 44-year-old former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star told co-host Tamra Judge that she initially thought she had the flu before waking up with a severe reaction.
“I thought I had the flu. And then one day I woke up and my whole body was covered in this horrible rash,” she recalled, adding, “You can’t even tell it’s a rash because it almost looks like sores all over my body.”
Teddi said the sores “hurt” and “burned,” requiring urgent care from doctors, who sent her straight to the emergency room.
There she discovered that the reaction was SJS: a rare but serious condition that affects the skin and mucous membranes and is often caused by medications.
The condition usually starts with flu-like symptoms before progressing to a painful, blister-like rash.
She explained that blisters had formed around her eyes, in her mouth and “just everywhere,” making it impossible for her to even swallow.
She was admitted to hospital and treated with steroid injections and antibiotics. “The reason why they said, ‘You have to stay inside [the hospital]’ is because they can get better and then go right back up.
After several days, her symptoms improved so she was able to return home just in time to celebrate her daughter Dove’s sixth birthday, which she didn’t want to miss after being hospitalized during last year’s celebration.
She said: “It didn’t feel great, but it was just the adrenaline I got there. I was so happy.”
This health scare comes after Teddi Mellencamp’s long, ongoing battle with melanoma, with an update in April 2025 that the cancer had progressed to stage four after spreading to her lungs and brain.
