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Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi Says Tori Spelling Is ‘In a Good Place’ Amid Dean McDermott Split Rumors (Exclusive)

Doing just fine, thank you! Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi shared an update on her Messyness cohost Tori Spelling as rumors swirl about the state of her relationship with husband Dean McDermott.

Related: 'Jersey Shore' Cast: Then and Now

“She’s just not stressed and she’s thriving,” the Jersey Shore: Family Vacation star, 34, exclusively told Us Weekly on Wednesday, September 14, while promoting her new partnership with Cheez-It. “She’s doing everything that she wants. Her house is good. Her home is good. I feel like she’s in a good place right now.”

Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi: Tori Spelling Is 'Thriving' Amid Dean Split Rumors
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The Snooki and JWoww alum and the Beverly Hills, 90210 veteran, 49, have become close since they began hosting Messyness, which premiered in August 2021.

“She’s like my soul sister,” the Shore Thing author told Us. “I just feel like we were always meant to be friends. She just always says how I never judge her and she can be herself around me, and she doesn’t have to, like, put on this persona. So, I love that. I love that I could do that for her, but also, I feel the same with her.”

Related: Celebrity BFFs: Hollywood’s Closest Pals

Spelling and McDermott, 55, have dodged commenting on split rumors for months, recently making a rare appearance together at the Malibu Chili Cook-Off over Labor Day weekend. The duo, who tied the knot in 2006, attended the star-studded event with their children: Liam, 15, Stella, 14, Hattie and Finn, both 10, and Beau, 5.

The Mommywood author first raised eyebrows in 2021 when she removed the word “wife” from her Instagram bio and didn’t publicly acknowledge her wedding anniversary. In June, an insider told Us that the duo were in the middle of a “trial separation.”

One month later, however, the Chopped Canada host made a guest appearance on his wife’s web series, @Home With Tori. During the episode, the pair watched the 1989 movie Troop Beverly Hills, which Spelling appeared in as a teen. “You’re so cute, babe,” McDermott told the California native as they watched with their kids.

Polizzi, for her part, has weathered her share of split rumors over the years as well. The MTV personality wed Jionni LaValle in 2014, but his rare appearances on Jersey Shore have occasionally caused viewers to speculate on the duo’s relationship status.

According to the Dancing With the Stars alum, however, that separation of work and home has only strengthened their romance. “Having that private aspect really helps us, because we don’t have, like, a Hollywood relationship,” Polizzi said of her husband, 35. “We’re a normal couple living with normal neighbors. I want a normal life as much as possible when it comes to my kids growing up.”

Related: Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi and Jionni LaValle's Family Album With 3 Kids

The pair’s kids — Lorenzo, 10, Giovanna, 7, and Angelo, 3 — are still too young to watch Jersey Shore, but they’re excited about their mom’s latest venture: her collaboration with Cheez-It.

“My kids love Cheez-Its,” the Messy Mawma founder told Us. “Any time they want a snack before bed, I’m, like, ‘Just grab a cup of Cheez-Its and go upstairs.'”

The fact her face is now on a Cheez-It box commemorating the 30th anniversary of reality TV has also helped improve her standing with her little ones. “When I got the box, I left it out on the counter, and I left one in [Lorenzo’s] room because he loves Cheez-Its,” “So, he thinks I’m cool as of right now.

Jersey Shore: Family Vacation airs on MTV Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET followed by Messyness at 9 p.m. ET.

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