Teddi Mellencamp's 3 Kids: All About Slate, Cruz and Dove (and How They're Supporting theRHOBHAlum amid Her Health Diagnosis)

Mar. 15, 2025

Teddi Mellencamp and Edwin Arroyave celebrate Easter with their three children Slate, Cruz and Dove in March 2024.Photo:Teddi Mellencamp/ Instagram

Teddi Mellencamp/ Instagram

One ofTeddi Mellencamp’s biggest joys in life is being a mother to her three kids: Slate, Cruz and Dove.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hillsalum welcomed her children with her estranged husbandEdwin Arroyave, whom shefiled for divorcefrom in November 2024. One month after announcing their split, Mellencamp thanked Arroyave in anInstagrampost for opening her eyes to motherhood.

Mellencamp added, “I may be far from perfect but being a mother has been the greatest gift you could have given me.”

Teddi Mellencamp and her children Slate, Cruz and Dove pose for a photo together in March 2023.Teddi Mellencamp/ Instagram

On Feb. 12, Mellencamp announced onInstagramthat after dealing with “severe and debilitating headaches” for weeks, doctors discovered that she hadmultiple brain tumors.

From their births to their hobbies, here’s everything to know about Teddi Mellencamp’s kids: Slate, Cruz and Dove.

Slate, 12

Teddi Mellencamp and Slate Arroyave attend a screening of ‘Mean Girls’ on December 17, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.Phillip Faraone/Getty

Phillip Faraone/Getty

Mellencamp welcomed her first child, Slate, on Oct. 6, 2012.

When Slate turned 11 years old, Mellencamp shared a birthday tribute onInstagram, writing, “The light you bring to our family, to your friends, to this world is a gift to us all.”

Mellencamp continued, “As we watch you grow into a gorgeous, talented, caring, loving, generous young woman— seeing you chase your dreams not only makes our hearts full, but also inspires us to be better and reach higher.”

She often calls Slate her “mini” and the two share a passion for horseback riding. That said, the television personality wrote onInstagramin December 2023 that her daughter “could ride circles” around her when she was her age.

“Outside of her skills, Slate has developed a grit, a tenacity, an endurance that mix with a kindness and lasting friendships she wouldn’t have found anywhere else,” Mellencamp added. “And maybe most importantly, she’s found the ability to laugh, to find the positive when things don’t go her way.”

Cruz, 10

Teddi Mellencamp and her son Cruz in May 2024.Teddi Mellencamp/ Instagram

Mellencamp welcomed her son, Cruz, on Aug. 21, 2014.

In honor of his 9th birthday, Mellencamp posted anInstagramtribute to Cruz and wrote that his “smile and personality brightens all of our lives.”

She noted that while Cruz is “Mom’s snugglebug,” he is also “Dad’s sports partner,” “Bella’s singing partner,” “Slate’s debater” and “Dove’s sparring buddy.”

“But most importantly you make us all laugh,” Mellencamp continued. “It’s your gift that spreads happiness wherever you go.”

In a back-to-school photo onInstagramin August 2023, Mellencamp shared that Cruz “loves football” and dreams of being a professional NFL player.

Dove, 5

Teddi Mellencamp and her daughter Dove in May 2023.Teddi Mellencamp/ Instagram

Mellencamp’s daughter Dove was born on Feb. 25, 2020.

Over the years, Mellencamp has opened up about Dove’s health, including when she wasdiagnosed with lambdoid craniosynostosis, a rare condition that affects the way a skull forms after birth, according to theMayo Clinic.

In July 2020, Mellencamp shared the news onInstagramand revealed that Dove would be undergoing neurosurgery.

“We are so grateful to have an amazing team of doctors and surgeons who have caught this early and will be working on her,” she wrote. “So although we are filled with nerves as neurosurgery sounds scary, we have our faith that she will be ok.”

Four years later, Mellencamp gave an update on Dove’s health in a July 2024Instagrampost, in which she said that her daughter showed them “what a fighter she is.”

As for her hobbies, Mellencamp shared in the back-to-school photo that Dove “lovesJake Paul” and “wants to be a boss (as if she isn’t already) and a boxer.”

source: people.com