Since the return of Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola was announced, many fans have been wondering what happened to Ronnie Ortiz-Magro from Jersey Shore. He appears in the “What a Waste of Cake” episode of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation from March 23, 2023. This episode is Ronnie’s first JSFV appearance since leaving the show in season 5. Here’s what the MTV star shared regarding his sobriety, his move to Miami, and his daughter in the Jersey Shore: Family Vacation Season 6 episode.
Ronnie lists his Los Angeles home in ‘Jersey Shore: Family Vacation’ episode
While the rest of the roommates are in New Orleans, Ronnie meets with his real estate agent Cynthia to review the listing of his Los Angeles home. “I think I feel like I needed a change of scenery and a change of pace in my life,” he tells the cameras.
Ronnie also says he plans to open up a new business in Miami. “It’s gonna be a sneaker store called Sneaker Clinic. It’s just something I’ve always been into and it’s a passion of mine.” The Jersey Shore star previously worked with Verge, a brand that sold CBD products.
Ronnie from ‘Jersey Shore’ has full custody of his daughter Ariana Sky
In the brief moments of the Jersey Shore: Family Vacation episode featuring Ronnie, he also shares an update about his personal life. He touches on his sobriety and his daughter Ariana, who turns five in April 2023.
“For the last couple years I was in a bad situation,” Ronnie explains to the cameras. “I almost lost everything that I built; I almost lost my daughter.”
Ronnie talks about being in treatment for “eight or nine months,” an experience he says helped him “grow” and made him a “stronger person.” He also reveals he has full custody of Ariana, who Ronnie shares with his ex-girlfriend Jenn Harley.
“It’s a lot of hard work, but she keeps me balanced,” Ronnie said of raising the five-year-old. “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, and it’s like, ‘Are you mine?’”
Is Ronnie still on ‘Jersey Shore’?
Ronnie could appear again before the first half of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation Season 6 concludes. It’s unclear how many episodes remain in the first half of the season, but the cast is actively filming the second half at publication. With Sammi’s involvement, we’ll unlikely see Ronnie in new episodes after this half of the season airs.
Why did Ronnie leave ‘Jersey Shore: Family Vacation’ in the first place?
In 2021, Ronnie was dating Saffire Matos and got arrested on domestic violence charges. Shortly after that, Ronnie announced his break from reality TV to his Instagram followers. He and MTV agreed he would leave the show to “seek medical treatment for mental health issues” he’d been “ignoring for too long.”
Ronnie did appear in the season 5 premiere of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation and a few episodes after that, but the second half of the season didn’t feature him. His return in season 6 comes as a surprise to many viewers.
Watch new episodes of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation Thursdays at 8 p.m. on MTV.
