Starting over. Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi is ready to move on with her life after announcing her retirement from the Jersey Shore reboot, Jersey Shore: Family Vacation.
The reality TV star, 32, posted a cryptic quote on her Instagram Story on Sunday, December 7, about beginning a “new chapter.”
“You are the author of your story,” the post read. “If you are stuck on the same page, remember that at any moment, you have the power to write a new chapter.”
Polizzi — who also took her kids to meet Santa on Sunday — shared another Instagram Story post earlier that day that referenced moving forward. “The Universe is preparing you for what you asked for,” the quote read.
The Jersey Shore alum’s social media posts come just two days after she revealed that she would be leaving the popular reality franchise. Polizzi shared the surprising news on the December 6 episode of “It’s Happening With Snooki & Joey,” a podcast she hosts with friend Joey Camasta.
“There’s reasons why I’ve come to this decision,” she explained. “It’s definitely a hard decision. OK, you guys, I love you so much, and don’t hate me for my decision, but I have to do what’s best for me at the moment, and I am retiring from Jersey Shore.” I am not coming back to Jersey Shore [Family Vacation] for a season 4, if there is one. And there’s a lot of reasons why, but the main reason is really … I’m just like, I just can’t do it anymore.”
She continued, “I hate being away from the kids. I don’t like partying three days in a row. It’s just not my life anymore. And I wanna be home with the kids. You know, like, I don’t mind a here and there going to a dinner or whatever, but it’s just really hard on me to leave the kids and film the show.”
Polizzi previously opened up to Us Weekly about the difficulties she faced balancing the MTV reality show with her obligations as a wife and mother. (She shares three kids, Lorenzo, 7, Giovanna, 5, and Angelo, 6 months, with husband Jionni LaValle.)
“I’m still trying to figure that out,” the reality star told Us in September. “They’re very stressed. I love being here. I love being with the roomies. But at the same time, I miss my newborn, I miss my two kids. So honestly I’m still trying to find that balance.”
Polizzi may be making the best decision for herself, but her Jersey Shore costars, Deena Nicole Cortese, Paul “DJ Pauly D” DelVecchio, Jenni “JWoww” Farley, Vinny Guadagnino, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, Angelina Pivarnick and Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, felt blindsided by the news.
“Nicole did not tell all her Jersey Shore castmates that she was retiring before she made the announcement,” a source told Us exclusively on December 6. “It came as a surprise to more than one of them.”
Jersey Shore: Family Vacation returns to MTV in 2020.