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Ronnie Ortiz-Magro Wouldn’t Have Gone to Treatment If Not for Daughter Ariana: ‘She Saved My Life’ (Exclusive)

The baby girl that changed everything. While Ronnie Ortiz-Magro and Jen Harley have an up-and-down relationship, he couldn’t be more thankful for their 10-month-old daughter, Ariana Sky. In fact, she was the driving force that led him to enter rehab for alcohol abuse and depression.

Related: Inside Ronnie's Road to Recovery

“If I’m not taking care of myself, I can’t take care of my daughter. I can’t take care of my family. That’s something that I’ve always thrived off of,” Ortiz-Magro, 33, told Us Weekly exclusively. “That little girl is like my guardian angel. I say to this day, she saved my life. I think, without her, I don’t think I would’ve taken this step, because what would I have to lose?”

Ronnie Ortiz-Margo Wouldn’t Have Gotten Treatment If It Weren’t for Daughter Ariana: ‘She Saved My Life’
Ronnie Ortiz-Magro and daughter, Ariana Courtesy of Ronnie Ortiz-Magro/Instargam

In a sit-down interview with Us, the Jersey Shore: Family Vacation star opened up about his time at HeadWaters at Origins treatment center, in which he spent about a month. Every time he got down on himself while there, he just thought of his little girl.

Related: How the 'Jersey Shore' Cast Have Changed Through the Years

“I’m a father. I’m a role model. I have to remember that. She’s getting older. She’s not getting younger. She’s getting older, and she’s getting smarter and smarter,” he said, adding that one day he’ll share his experience with Ariana.

“I feel like it’s something that she needs to know. I’m going to be very open with her when she grows up. I want us to have that friendship,” the former Famously Single star added. “I want her to be able to come talk to me. Also a reason why I did this [was] because I want to be able to listen to people and be able to not react. I want her to be like, ‘OK, well I can talk to my father about this. I can tell him this without him getting crazy like most dads do.’ I pray that we do have that bond when she gets older.”

Related: Ronnie and Jen's Relationship: Everything We Know

He also gave a brief update on his relationship with Harley. “She’s always going to be the mother of my child, at the end of the day,” he said about their current status. “All I can do is control myself. I can’t control her.”

Ortiz-Magro also noted he’s planning on moving from Las Vegas to Los Angeles. “If she doesn’t live with me, she’ll grow up to the point where she’s able to make her own choice,” he stated about where Ariana will reside.

Watch more of our exclusive interview with Ortiz-Magro above.

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