With the absence of her ex Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, both fans and former Jersey Shore roommate Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino remain confused as to why Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola has opted not to return to Jersey Shore: Family Vacation.
“I’m definitely surprised that [Sammi] hasn’t come back yet, especially since Ron is absent. You know, just all of our lives have matured and moved on,” Mike, 39, exclusively tells In Touch. “Instead of documenting us in her twenties, it’s documenting us in her thirties.”
“I don’t know if she’s gonna surprise us in the future,” Mike adds, alluding to the fact that previous cast members, including Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, have made surprise returns to the show. “You never know. I don’t see why she hasn’t yet come back.”
Ronnie, 36, and Sammi’s turbulent relationship, which was a major plot point on Jersey Shore during its run from 2009 to 2012, is still a topic of conversation between the roomies a decade later. Their relationship was marred with charged arguments, multiple breakups and a shocking moment when Ronnie threw a bed while Sammi, 34, was standing on it — causing Sammi to leave the house, only to return two days later.
The roommates, and the couple’s parents, were not happy with the relationship. Ultimately, they called it quits and both have moved on — despite Ronnie claiming he still loved Sammi during the first season of Family Vacation, while he was about to welcome his first child with then-girlfriend Jen Harley.
Currently, Sammi is dating Justin May, following her split from former fiancé Christian Biscardi.
As for Ronnie, he is currently engaged to Saffire Matos, despite their ups and downs throughout their relationship. Prior to their engagement, Ronnie was arrested for an alleged domestic violence dispute in April 2021. He was later released on a $100,000 bond, according to his attorneys Scott E. Lemon and Leonard Levine.
In November 2021, months after they announced their engagement in June 2021, an insider exclusively told In Touch that their relationship was “on the rocks” for a “few weeks.”
“They get into fights just like normal couples would but sometimes their fights get really bad, which leads to them separating and spending time apart,” the source said at the time. “Not only that, but she will delete photos of him, block him, not wear her ring and so forth.”
In May 2021, the Jersey Shore star announced via his Instagram Stories that he would be taking a step back from the MTV show to “seek treatment for mental health issues.”