In Claim to Fame season 3, Hud, whose real name is Hudson Mellencamp, has a celebrity relative who remains unknown, but fans have made many guesses based on some clear hints.
His two truths and a lie were that his celebrity relative is his mom, who is best known for being a singer, and the biggest award she won was a Grammy. The lie among these is that his celebrated relative is his mom.
It’s been easy for many to guess that Hud’s celebrity relative is his father, John Mellencamp, an amazing singer who has won a Grammy.
The giveaway for many was the mustache, and Hud also bears a striking resemblance to his parents.
It also becomes evident since he uses his nickname, Hud. Additionally, people from Indiana, where both Hud and John Mellencamp were born and raised, quickly identified Hud as John’s son.
Claim to Fame
IMDb Reality-TVCelebrity relatives step outside their famous family member’s shadows and live together under one roof, concealing their identity and lineage in the quest for fame and fortune.
| Director | Brian Smith |
| Release Date | July 11, 2022 |
| Studio | Kinetic Content, Walt Disney Television Alternative |
| Cast | Frankie Jonas, Kevin Jonas, Logan Crosby |
| Runtime | 42 minutes |
| Writers | – |
| Rating | TV-PG |
Hud’s identity became apparent due to his notable appearances in other reality shows
Hud, or Hudson Mellencamp, appeared on reality TV before joining Claim To Fame. One notable instance was on Vanderpump Rules, where he applied for a job at Tom Tom.
Lisa Vanderpump co-owns the restaurant. Additionally, Lisa is a good friend of Hud’s half-sister, Teddi Mellencamp. Both were on RHOBH. Teddi wanted to assist Hud in securing a job at TomTom.
This connection with his half-sister also helped some fans piece together his identity.
Hud is John’s first son from his third wife, Elaine Irwin, while Teddi Mellencamp, his half-sister, was John’s first daughter from his second wife, Victoria Granucci.
John further confirmed that Hud is his son in an interview with The Herald-Times in 2008. He revealed that he named his son after Paul Newman’s character ‘Hud’ from the 1963 movie.
Meanwhile, for those familiar with celebrity children, especially those who track individuals with a criminal history, it was evident that this contestant is John’s son.
Hud made headlines when authorities charged him with a crime on August 20, 2013.
Nevertheless, being the son of a well-recognized celebrity like John, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member, made it easy for people to identify him.
John is popular for hits like Jack and Diane, Cherry Bomb, and Hurts So Good.
He won one Grammy Award in 1983 in the Male Rock Vocalist category for Hurts So Good and has been nominated for 13 other Grammy Awards.
Unlike his father, Hud founded a whiskey company called Mellencamp Whiskey with his childhood friend Levi Collison. His social media features his whiskey brand, his other siblings, and his grandfather.
Additional Information
- Claim to Fame season 3 premiered on July 10, 2024, on ABC, featuring 11 contestants.
- The first season premiered on July 11, 2022, and the second season premiered on June 26, 2023.
- Hud’s father, John, is famous, and his stage names are Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp.
- The season three winner will take home the grand prize of $100,000.
