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Two years after his “Jersey Shore: Family Vacation” departure, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro made a rare appearance on the show to announce his move to Miami.
The MTV personality explained his desire to leave Los Angeles for Florida with his 4-year-old daughter, Ariana, to get “a change of scenery” and a “change of pace.”
“I’m opening up a new business, a sneaker store,” Ortiz-Magro revealed. “It’s just something that’s always been a passion of mine.”
The 37-year-old, who has appeared in two other “Jersey Shore” episodes since his 2021 exit, went on to reflect on the “bad situation” he was in over “the last couple of years.”
“I almost lost everything that I built. I almost lost my daughter,” Ortiz-Magro recalled, referring to his arrested for alleged domestic violence in April 2021 while on probation for a previous domestic violence charge.
While the reality star was not charged at the time, he did step back from the show the following month and get sober.
“I was in treatment for eight or nine months,” he said on Thursday’s episode. “It helped me grow and made me a stronger person.”
The “Famously Single” alum, who welcomed Ariana in April 2018 with then-girlfriend Jen Harley, noted that he now has “full custody” of their little one.
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“It’s a lot of hard work, but she keeps me balanced,” he gushed. “She calms my world down. I didn’t have the perfect situation with her mother, but she turned out perfect.
“She’s so sweet and polite, it’s like, ‘Are you mine?!’”
In an August 2022 episode of the series, Ortiz-Magro said he “basically” had primary custody of Ariana.
The “full-time dad” spoke about his sobriety journey at the time, celebrating one year abstaining from alcohol.
“It’s been a long year,” he said. “It’s been a lot of just doing the right thing. I’m living the best life I can.”
While Ortiz-Magro filmed with Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino last year, he has yet to appear on camera with Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, Deena Cortese or other cast members.
The “Celebrity Fear Factor” alum acknowledged that he “f–ked up” and is focused on “improving.”
His brief TV return this week comes shortly after news broke of his ex Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola reuniting with her castmates after more than 10 years offscreen.
