Though Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola and Ronnie Ortiz-Magro gave viewers an open look at their tumultuous romance from 2009 to 2012, Giancola is ready to leave her public relationship with her ex in the past by opting out of Jersey Shore Family Vacation.
“Everyone was invited to come on the show but Sammi was the only one who didn’t want to. A big reason for that was because she didn’t want to be around Ronnie,” a source tells Us Weekly exclusively. “She has been enjoying her life off of TV and didn’t want to change that.”
The hit series’ other original cast members — including Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, Paul “Pauly D” Delvecchio, Jenni “JWOWW” Farley, Vinny Guadagnino, Deena Nicole Cortese and Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino — will all return for the reunion series, MTV announced during the premiere of Floribama Shore on Monday, November 27.
Fans took to social media shortly after the announcement to express their disappointment in learning that Giancola would not appear onscreen. “NO SAMMI SWEETHEART?! CANCEL IT,” one use wrote. Another added: “Samantha ‘Sammi Sweetheart’ Giancola was not named in the release. – RIP Me.”
Ortiz-Magro, however, was noticeably absent when the cast reunited for a Burger King commercial earlier this year amid speculation that the cast would be coming together for a new series. “I honestly don’t know if anyone has spoken to him about it,” Cortese exclusively told Us in July. “Right now we’re in a group chat with me, Pauly, Vinny Mike, Nicole, Jenni and Sam. Ronnie’s actually not in it right now, in the group chat, but we’re all talking about it and we’re all trying to figure out ways to make it happen.”
Giancola and Ortiz-Magro called it quits for good in 2014. He went on to briefly date Malika Haqq earlier this year while Giancola has moved on with boyfriend Christian Biscardi.
Jersey Shore Family Vacation is set to premiere in 2018.
