John Mellencamp's 5 Children: All About His Sons and Daughters

John Mellencamp first became a father at 19 years old.

Shortly after graduating high school, the "Jack and Diane" singer married his pregnant girlfriend, Priscilla Esterline. Six months after the pair eloped, she gave birth to a daughter, Michelle. The couple divorced in 1981, and Mellencamp wed Victoria Granucci — whom he later welcomed daughters Teddi and Justice with during their eight-year marriage. He also shares two sons, Hud and Speck, with his third wife, Elaine Irwin.

"I've never cared about my image — just about my family, my kids," the musician told PEOPLE in 2017.

While speaking to Men's Health seven years prior, Mellencamp said, "I wasn't very close with my own father; I mostly tried to steer clear of him. But now that I have a wife and kids, family time is a priority. I want my boys to remember these good times we're sharing together."

In October 2024, Teddi let PEOPLE in on a family tradition related to birthdays.

“My dad's tradition is that our birthday present every year is that he pays you [in] dollars [based on your age],” Teddi said. "I got $43 this year. He's been doing it this way for so many years. I don't think he's changing.”

From reality television to artistic endeavors, here's everything to know about John Mellencamp's five children.

Michelle Mellencamp, 53

Mellencamp's first daughter (and only child with ex wife Priscilla Esterline), Michelle Suzanne Mellencamp, was born on Dec. 4, 1970.

Like her famous dad, Michelle started a family at a young age. In 1989, she gave birth to her eldest daughter, Elexis. She was 18 at the time, making Mellencamp a grandfather at 37. "I've been a grandfather for so long it's as normal to me as being a man," he told PEOPLE in 2000, adding, "I swear in front of the kids and playing in a rock band is probably not very grandfatherly."

Michelle has stayed mostly out of the spotlight, but she is now a mom of four: her son Colin was born in 1994, followed by two more daughters, Hannah in 1996 and Grace in 1998.

Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave, 43

Mellencamp married his second wife, actress Victoria Granucci, in 1981, and the couple had two daughters together. Their first daughter, Teddi Jo Mellencamp, was born on July 1, 1981. She later moved to Hilton Head, South Carolina, where she spent most of her childhood.

At 17, Teddi moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting before becoming a fitness and wellness coach. However, she's best known for her role on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. She joined the cast in 2017 and spent three seasons on the show before confirming her exit in 2020.

Her exit came amid backlash for her weight loss program, All In by Teddi, with many claiming it encouraged disordered eating habits and extreme calorie restriction. In a statement to Today, Teddi denied the claims, saying, "Nowhere in our suggested meal plan does it mention a specific calorie count."

Teddi is a mom of four and founded All In after losing 80 pounds following the birth of her son. After marrying her husband, Edwin Arroyave, in 2011, she became stepmom to Isabella, his daughter from a previous marriage. The couple then welcomed their first child together in October 2012, a daughter named Slate. Two years later, in August 2014, their son, Cruz, was born. Their third child, daughter Dove, arrived on Feb. 25, 2020.

According to Teddi, Mellencamp has a special bond with her kids. "They call him Peepaw," she said. "He's so much fun with them."

In 2021, Teddi interviewed her dad for Extra to celebrate his 70th birthday. "The fact that I'm even sitting here talking to my daughter is a real success story in itself." He went on to say, "I'm most proud of you kids. I'm proud of you kids because you could've turned out quite differently."

Justice Mellencamp, 39

Justice Mellencamp was born in Indiana in August 1985 to Mellencamp and Granucci. After her parents divorced in 1989, she moved to Hilton Head, South Carolina, where she lived with her mom and older sister, Teddi.

Growing up, Justice traveled with her father often. In an interview with Local Life, she said he always wanted to take his kids with him when he was on tour. "He felt that seeing the world was a very important side of life."

In 2014, Justice married her high school sweetheart Michael Moore at her father's house in South Carolina. "He opened up his home to our closest friends, which was a huge gift." She went on to share that at her wedding reception, Mellencamp had Miriam Sturm, the violinist for his band, play her a song. "It was so beautiful," she said. "And we had our father/daughter dance right there. Totally unplanned. That was sweet."

Today, Justice is a professional hairdresser. She and her husband also have three children together. The pair welcomed their son, Trent, in 2005 while they were still in college. Their daughter, Dylan Carter, was born in 2016, followed by another daughter, Woods, in 2021.

Hud Mellencamp, 30

Mellencamp welcomed his first son, Hud Mellencamp, on April 27, 1994, with his third wife, Elaine Irwin.

Like his siblings, Hud was born in Indiana, where he grew up with his parents and a younger brother. He also spent a great deal of time traveling with his dad.

In an interview with PEOPLE, Mellencamp shared that after he and Irwin married, she wanted to ensure a more family-friendly atmosphere when he was on tour. "There's not been anybody — no girls or hangers-on — backstage at my shows since then. Her advice was good," he said, adding that he brought his sons on the road with him.

Still, despite giving them a taste of the rock star life, he wanted his children to appreciate their lifestyle. "I try to make sure that my kids understand how fortunate they are and that they shouldn't take any of this for granted."

Hud attended Duke University, where he played football. The 28-year-old is now working as an executive recruiter.

He also founded a whiskey company called Mellencamp Whiskey with childhood friend Levi Collison.

In 2024, Hud competed on the show Claim to Fame, where contestants who each secretly have a famous relative try to figure out who everyone is related to. After he finished in second place on the show's third season, Mellencamp told PEOPLE he was "against" his son joining the show at first but changed his mind when it aired.

“Once we watched the show and we watched him on the show, it was fun,” he said. “It was fun for everybody in the family and it was fun for him, and he did really well.”

Speck Mellencamp, 29

Mellencamp and Irwin welcomed their second son, Speck Wildhorse Mellencamp, on April 23, 1995.

According to USA Today, when Speck was 20 years old, he was reportedly sentenced to four days in jail after he and his brother pled guilty to a misdemeanor battery charge. He was arrested again in 2017 for public intoxication after he got into a physical altercation with Hud and was put on probation.

Mellencamp seemingly addressed Speck's arrests during an interview with AARP in 2017. "Here's what I told my son Speck, who's always fighting everybody and fighting himself. I said, 'I know you consider yourself a dangerous young man, but I'm a dangerous old man.' "

Since then, Speck has turned to a career in the arts. He went to the Rhode Island School of Design and is now the executive director of the Southern Indiana Center for the Arts. "I drew a lot as a kid," he said in an interview with Indianapolis Monthly. "My dad and I have collaborated on a few paintings."

From May-July 2023, both Speck and his dad's art were on display in an exhibit at the Butler Institute of American Art called Bloodline: The Art of John Mellencamp & Speck Mellencamp. The exhibit featured 10 paintings by Mellencamp and nine by Speck.