Looking on the bright side. Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino expressed gratitude for fans after he received eight months in prison at his sentencing for tax evasion.
“We are very happy to put this behind us,” the Jersey Shore: Family Vacation star, 36, wrote on Instagram Friday, October 5. “Thank you So much for all the Love & Support.”
The reality star shared a gallery of photos from his court appearance, where his Jersey Shore castmates — including Jenni “JWoww” Farley, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, Paul “DJ Pauly D” DelVecchio, Vinny Guadagnino, Angelina Pivarnick and Deena Cortese — supported their costar. Fiancée Lauren Pesce was also by his side.
In addition to his prison sentence, Sorrentino, who pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion in January, received two years of supervised probation. Meanwhile, his brother Marc Sorrentino was sentenced to 24 months in prison.
“Mike accepts the court’s decision and looks forward to marrying his college sweetheart, Lauren Pesce, and moving forward together after serving his sentence,” the MTV star’s rep told Us Weekly exclusively in a statement on Friday. “He anticipates to come back stronger as an individual and couple in the same healthy mindset that he has had for the last 3 years. He and Lauren are both so thankful for everyone’s support and prayers!”
The TV personality has relied on Pesce, 33, during this difficult period. “Lauren has been his saving grace,” a source close to Sorrentino told Us. “She’s stuck by him every step of the way and has been his rock.”
The insider added: “He is such a good guy and has done so much to turn his life around. He’s been doing so well.”
The couple, whose engagement was confirmed by Us in April, tried to stay positive leading up to the court date. “We live our life one day at a time, and we’re praying for a positive outcome,” Sorrentino told Us in August. “You know, my current situation is not my final destination.”
