Teddi Mellencamp Defends Her Dad John's Stance On The National Anthem

Teddie Mellencamp, who is best known for her three-season stint on "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," has been on quite the roller coaster. In June 2022, Mellencamp and her former co-star, Lisa Vanderpump, put their long-running feud to rest. "RHOBH" fans will remember the infamous "puppygate" feud. It started as a confrontation between Vanderpump and Dorit Kemsley — who'd adopted (then rehomed) a dog from the former's puppy rescue organization, per E! News — and then morphed into a feud between Vanderpump and much of her now-former cast mates, Mellencamp included. Thankfully, Mellencamp and Vanderpump made up in June 2022. "We did have a nice conversation. We were respectful to one another," Mellencamp shared during an episode of her "Two Ts in a Pod" podcast (via Page Six).

Unfortunately, Mellencamp revealed that she'd been diagnosed with Stage 2 melanoma months later. In October, the reality star took to Instagram to inform her followers of the news. "I have faith and lots of support from friends, family, doctors, and surgeons that all will be okay," Mellencamp captioned the text photo, which detailed her recent medical journey. "Something in me is making me want to continue to share this personal information because I want to continue to reiterate the importance of getting your skin checks."

Now, Mellencamp is dealing with another downswing. This time, however, it's drama related to her famous father, musician John Mellencamp, and his decision not to stand for the national anthem.

John Mellencamp recently attended the November 20 football game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Philadelphia Eagles. However, the musician opted to sit during the national anthem, according to OutKick, drawing the ire of social media. "#JohnMellencamp YOU are an embarrassment to America sitting and eating popcorn during the national anthem? You sir, should be ashamed of yourself," tweeted one user. "John Mellencamp is a disgrace for not standing during the national anthem at Eagles game! I will no longer listen to his music!" wrote another. Meanwhile, journalist Dan Dakich tweeted, "Mellencamp is one of America's Greatest frauds ... always has been."

In the wake of this backlash, Teddi has come to her father's defense. During the November 21 episode of "Two T's in a Pod," Teddi gave listeners some insight into her father's decision, given that he doesn't "talk to the press." Teddi explained that he wasn't sitting out of laziness or because he wasn't feeling good. "Since as long as I can remember, my dad has never stood for the national anthem," Teddi continued. "He's never once told me I couldn't." His reasoning? "He believes the national anthem is a war song ... He's been to countless games, and he's never stood for the anthem once. He loves his country as much as anybody ... But as this is the land of the free, it's his right not to stand for something he considers to be a war anthem."