Teddi Mellencamp and Shep Rose go way back long before their Bravo days.
Both Teddi, who is the daughter of John Mellencamp, and Rose grew up in Hilton Head, South Carolina. The duo met in their early teen years. They clicked and formed a friendship that has stood the test of time.
As Teddi and Rose grew up they both found themselves on the same network. Teddi appeared on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills for three seasons from 2017 to 2020. Rose has starred on Southern Charm since its premiere in 2014.
Recently, Teddi underwent treatment for several brain tumors. During a March 2025 episode of her “Two T’s in a Pod” podcast, Teddi confessed that she reached out to Rose to entertain her with the lowdown between him and ex Sienna Evans. (Rose and Evans’ tumultuous relationship has played out on season 10 of Southern Charm.)
“I never freaking thought that I would be sad not to talk about Shep’s jacked-up relationship with [Evans]. I cannot,” she said. “Even from the hospital, I had to text Shep. I was like, ‘What are you doing? This is embarrassing.’”
After Teddi was released from the hospital, Rose visited his longtime pal to see how she was doing before her radiation treatment.
“In case you all didn’t know my hometown friend @teddimellencamp recently had several tumors removed from her brain 🧠,” Rose wrote via Instagram in March 2025 alongside a sweet snap of him and Teddi embracing. “There’s still lots to battle but we decided to meet up if she was up for it. We met in Encino, a magical village in the valley.”
He continued: “As soon as I saw Teddi and gave her a hug we argued about where to sit. She then rather bluntly announced ‘I almost died and I still might – make a decision for once Shepard.’”
Rose added that the pair’s lunch included countless laughs as a result of Teddi’s “dark humor.”
“More laughs than anything. She has a keen interest and derives much pleasure in my misadventures,” he shared. “Which I think means that she loves me. 😊 🥰.”
In the comments section, Teddi gave further insight on their bond clarifying that they never had a romantic relationship.
“Thankfully we were never romantically involved,” she teased. “I don’t think I could pull off a shark tooth necklace.”
Teddi also took to social media to recap her reunion with Rose.
“We have known each other since 3rd and 4th grade,” she wrote via her Instagram Story at the time. “You know he is a good friend when he is down to travel to Encino.”
Teddi posted multiple videos of her and Rose reminiscing about their time growing up in Hilton Head. In one clip, Rose recalled how Teddi’s family “had a great house on the beach” that he would visit constantly. Teddi shared that Rose and his family hosted a fabulous annual Christmas party.
“It was like, honestly, getting into the Met Gala. Like, we would check the list to see who would get in,” she recalled. “And then you felt bad because sometimes he wouldn’t put some of your friends on the list, and then you’d try to talk to [Rose], and be like, ‘Can you go ahead and put this so-and-so on the list?’”
