John Mellencamp Gives the Same Birthday Present to His Kids and Grandkids Every Year: See the Family Tradition! (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

John Mellencamp and daughter Teddi Mellencamp in 2022.Photo:Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty

Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty

John Mellencampalways has his loved ones’ birthdays all mapped out, according to his daughterTeddi Mellencamp Arroyave!

PEOPLE recently caught up with theReal Housewives of Beverly Hillsstar, 43, as she celebrated some special birthdays in her life — her oldest daughter Slate on Sunday, Oct. 6, and her rockstar dad on Monday, Oct. 7.

“We were in Washington, D.C., at our national horse competition,” the Bravo star tells PEOPLE of the family’s birthday plans. “That was my daughter’s birthday on Oct. 6. My dad’s on Oct. 7. So he flew in to watch Slate show and compete, and it was so nice. And, yeah, so Slate is turning 12.”

Unfortunately for the “Cherry Bomb” singer, Teddi can’t quite keep track of her famous father’s age.

Themother of three, who also shares son Cruz, 10, and daughter Dove, 4, with husband Edwin Arroyave, explained that Mellencamp has stuck to a birthday gift tradition.

“My dad’s tradition is that our birthday present every year is that he pays you and the amount of dollars that you are,” Teddi tells PEOPLE. “So, Slate was very excited that she was 12 this year, because she got $12.”

Teddi Mellencamp with dad John and kids.Teddi mellencamp/Instagram

Teddi mellencamp/Instagram

However, according to the reality star, there are no multipliers that come with age — the dollar amount is always in singles for the exact year.

“Unfortunately, no [multiplier]. I got $43 this year," Teddi revealed. “I do it sometimes back to him, and now that he’s getting up there, it’s pretty pricey,” Teddi joked about continuing with tradition and gifting her father the same dollar amount as his age.

She also doesn’t see him switching up his style anytime soon: “He’s been doing it this way for so many years. I don’t think he’s changing.”

Tamra Judge and Teddi Mellencamp, March 2022.JC Olivera/Getty

Both women tell PEOPLE that Slate is wise beyond her years.

“Slate is such an old soul,” explains Teddy. “I always say she’s like a 45-year-old trapped in a 12-year-old’s body, because the second that you talk to her, you feel like you’re talking to one of your friends.”

“She’s more mature than us,” Judge, 57, agrees. “She’s just so aware. It’s so weird, because [my daughter]Sophiais the same way. Maybe it’s something that we’ve done,”

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Teddi and Judge also shared their excitement about their upcomingTwoTscon live eventfor theirTwo Ts in a Podpodcast.

TwoTscon takes place on Nov. 1 at the iHeart Theater in Los Angeles.HousewivesfavoritesHeather Dubrow,Dolores Catania,Cynthia BaileyandMarysol Pattonwill be special guests.

Tickets for TwoTscon can be purchased atveeps.com/twotsinapod.

source: people.com