Teddi Mellencamp Debuts Brain Surgery Scars on the Red Carpet Amid Stage 4 Cancer Diagnosis

Teddi Mellencamp looked chic as she made her first red carpet appearance since being diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, 43, showed off her brain surgery scars as she walked the red carpet at An Unforgettable Evening Benefiting the Women’s Cancer Research Fund in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Monday.

Mellencamp sported an elegant black pantsuit for the evening, pairing it with silver heels and matching jewelry for a stunning overall look. The Bravo alum also opted not to wear a wig at Monday’s event, rocking her shaved head while showing off her scars.

“You know, when people come up to me and they’re like, ‘You’re so strong, you did this.’ I’m like, half the time I’m strong, and half the time I’m crying and sad,” Mellencamp told PEOPLE at the event, adding, “What I’ve learned is that I have amazing kids. I have amazing friends and a support system that’s there for me, and I think that’s huge.”

Earlier in the day, Mellencamp gave her Instagram followers a close-up look at her surgical scars, writing that it had been “76 days since I went to the ER with unbearable headaches and quickly found out I had multiple stage 4 tumors ‘the size of plums’ in my brain and lungs.” She continued, “Melanoma had metastasized there and been there for ‘6 months to a year’ and we had no clue.”

The podcast host, who shares children Dove, 5, Cruz, 10, and Slate, 12, with estranged husband Edwin Arroyave, 37, revealed that the first time she looked at the photo of her scars, she broke down in tears.

“Then, I felt a warmness rush through my body and felt so much peace,” she wrote. “Peace from the incredible support system I have in my family and friends. Peace from the outpouring of love from y’all on here. Peace in knowing my story could help somebody save their life.”

Later, Mellencamp shared a selfie on her Instagram Story, over which she wrote, “Seeing my scars on my back and head make me cry but also remind me of all the things we can overcome. Very grateful to this fighter body of mine.”

Mellencamp recently revealed some amazing news on her cancer journey, sharing on April 23 that all of her remaining tumors had “significantly shrunk” with immunotherapy, and that doctors were telling her “that this all will work and that I will be back to myself and feeling good.”