Former Jersey Shore: Family Vacation star Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, 37, shared a cryptic message about his future after news broke that his ex, Sammi Sweetheart Giancola, 36, is returning to the MTV reality show. Ronnie, who famously stepped away from the series in 2021 to focus on his mental health, took to Instagram on March 13 and shared a photo of himself, with the caption, “Can’t wait for what’s next 👀.” In the comments section, fans speculated that Ronnie may be returning to Jersey Shore now that Sammi’s back in the mix.
Ronnie shared his cryptic post just two days after Sammi — who he dated on-and-off from 2009 to 2016 — was featured in a teaser for the upcoming season of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation. “She’s still the sweetest b**** you’ll ever meet,” MTV’s Instagram caption read, alongside a photo of Sammi filming a confessional in front of a green screen. Sammi confirmed her return in an Instagram post of her own, where she wrote, “Okay I can finally say… I’m backkk! ☺️ @jerseyshore #jsfamilyvacation.”
Sammi initially opted not to join the reboot of the Jersey Shore franchise, despite being an original cast member when it debuted in 2009. “I have chosen not to join the show this season because I am at a completely different place in my life right now focusing on my businesses and my relationship,” the star explained on her Instagram ahead of the Jersey Shore Family Vacation premiere in April 2018. She also said that she wanted to “avoid potentially toxic situations,” which seemed to reference her past turbulent relationship with Ronnie.
Ronnie was apart of the Jersey Shore: Family Vacation cast along with Mike “The Situation”Sorrentino, Snooki (Nicole Polizzi), Vinny Guadagnino, Pauly D, Jenni Farley(JWOWW), Angelina Pivarnick, and Deena Nicole Cortese, when it premiered in 2018. But after four seasons, Ronnie decided to quit the show to formally seek treatment for “mental health issues that I’ve ignored for too long.” The move came after an arrest for intimate partner violence. His last episode was in January of 2022, though he briefly returned for an episode later that summer, during which he expressed a desire to reconcile with cast members.
The Situation, 40, talked about the chances Ronnie will return to the show in an interview with TooFab in January. “Seeing him in the future is definitely a TBD,” Mike said. “I hope that he has taken this time off seriously … and I’m sure if he is in better place, there might be an opportunity in the future to see him again.” Mike added that the decision “wouldn’t be up” to him.
