Teddi Mellencamp. Paul Archuleta/Getty Images
Teddi Mellencamp has addressed her affair with her horse trainer, Simon Schroeder.
“The only person who can change your life is you. We have 2 options, pretend to be a victim or stand up and fight for yourself. We all deserve peace and happiness,” Mellencamp, 43, wrote via Instagram on Sunday, November 24. “I have cried and mourned. I have taken accountability and apologized for things I have done wrong. Now, I have given myself permission to grow and thrive.”
She added, “There are 3 sides to every story. How can I stand up and show up for the people that do matter? This is called being an adult. This is what saying with my full chest means.”
Us Weekly confirmed earlier this month that Mellencamp had an extramarital affair months before she filed for divorce from husband Edwin Arroyave.
“Simon and Teddi had a thing several months ago but it’s not still happening,” a source exclusively told Us, claiming that Arroyave, 47, had also previously been unfaithful.
“Teddi and Edwin had been working on the problems of their marriage, despite his past indiscretions,” the insider added. “They stayed in the marriage for the sake of the kids. Teddi isn’t excusing her behavior but this was the first and only time she strayed outside of the marriage and says there’s two sides to the story. They are both to blame.”
In the comments section of her Sunday post, Mellencamp denied speculation that she was with Schroeder while his wife was giving birth. She wrote, “Nope. Not true.”
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum and Arroyave were married for more than a decade before separating this fall. In divorce docs, Mellencamp said they separated on October 20, three weeks before Arroyave claimed they split.
Mellencamp and Arroyave share three children: Slate, 12, Cruz, 10, and Dove, 4. (Arroyave is also father to daughter Isabella from a previous relationship.)
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Mellencamp confirmed their split on November 2.
“After a great deal of care and consideration, I have made the difficult decision to file for divorce,” she wrote via Instagram. “My priority is my children and ensuring that every care is taken with their privacy and wellbeing throughout this new chapter.”
Mellencamp added at the time, “Making a public statement is not something I wanted to do, but in an effort to protect my family from undue speculation and rumors, I felt being open, honest and vulnerable was the best path forward.”
Related: Teddi Mellencamp Is ‘Trying My Hardest’ After Announcing Edwin Divorce
Teddi Mellencamp didn’t shy away from discussing her divorce on her first podcast since announcing her split from husband Edwin Arroyave. During the Tuesday, November 5, episode of her “Two Ts in a Pod” podcast with Tamra Judge, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum, 43, addressed her big news right away. “I am doing […]
She and Arroyave celebrated their 13th anniversary earlier this year.
“Thirteen years ago I married who I thought was the woman of my dreams, but as the years have gone by I’ve realized she’s not just the woman of my dreams, she’s also the mother of my dreams, the wife of my dreams and the love of my life,” Arroyave wrote via Instagram in July. “Plus, she keeps a mean calendar. Thank you for all that you do for me and our family. I love you, @teddimellencamp.”
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Despite the frequent public praise, a second source told Us that Mellencamp and Arroyave had their ups and downs.
“It was a long time coming and they have been up and down for the last seven-plus years,” the second insider said. “This isn’t the first time Teddi has wanted a divorce, and it has been an ongoing conversation between them for years.”
The source continued, “They have had some really high highs and low lows over the course of their marriage. They have agreed they are better as coparents and can be amicable moving forward.”
