An unexpected reunion. Ronnie Ortiz-Magro is reportedly filming MTV’s Jersey Shore: Family Vacation with ex-girlfriend Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola.
Ronnie, 37, was spotted at the Margaritaville Resort in Orlando on Friday, April 7, according to photos obtained by TMZ. It’s the same hotel that Sammi, 35, is staying at along with Jenni “JWoww” Farley, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, Paul “Pauly D” DelVecchio, Vinny Guadagnino, Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino and Deena Nicole Cortese.
Ronnie and Sammi had a volatile off and on relationship through the first six seasons of Jersey Shore. They had explosive fights, including one argument where Sammi punched Ronnie in the face. They called it quits for good in August 2014.
When Jersey Shore: Family Vacation debuted in 2018, Sammi stayed away while Ronnie reunited with his castmates. “I am at a completely different place in my life right now focusing on my businesses and relationship,” the Sweetheart Styles founder wrote via Instagram at the time. “I am not the same person as I was when I was 22. At 31, I am currently extremely happy in every aspect of my life and want to avoid potentially TOXIC SITUATIONS.”
Her return, which Us Weekly confirmed last month, may have surprised the longtime stars. Cortese, 36, exclusively told Us in January that she didn’t expect Sammi to ever want to join the reboot. “I think it’s safe to say Sammi is no longer wanting to do this,” the Christopher John Clothing designer said at the time. “She’s just living her best life. Honestly, she’s doing her own thing. So, why even talk about her?”
Sammi was briefly engaged to ex Christian Biscardi, who she split from in early 2021. She started dating Justin May later that year.
The Famous Single alum, for his part, left Family Vacation in May 2021 to focus on his mental health. One month prior to Ronnie’s exit, he was arrested and released on a $100,000 bond. The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to Us at the time that his booking fell under “intimate partner violence with injury with priors,” referring to his previous arrests.
Ronnie returned to the show in an episode last month, revealing he made some big changes in his life after being “in treatment for eight or nine months” and winning full custody of daughter Ariana, 4, whom he shares with ex Jen Harley. They’ll soon move to Florida to launch his new business venture.
“I feel like I needed a change of scenery and just a change of pace in my life,” he shared during the March 23 episode. “I’ve decided to move from Los Angeles to Miami and open up a new business. It’s a sneaker store called SneakerClinic.”
Jersey Shore: Family Vacation airs on MTV Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET.
If you or someone you know are experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
