Jersey Shore: Family Vacation star Ronnie Ortiz-Magro and his fiancée, Saffire Matos, have been “on the rocks for the past few weeks,” an insider exclusively tells In Touch.
“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. Not only that but she will delete photos of him, block him, not wear her ring and so forth,” says the source. “Right now, they’re not together and sorting it out privately. That’s not to say it’s over for good. They both want to make it work since they have so much love for each other.”
News of the couple’s rough patch comes weeks after Matos, 31, and Ortiz-Magro, 35, threw an extravagant engagement party which many of their friends and loved ones attended, complete with balloon arches, roses and a three-tier cake.
Ortiz-Magro’s 3-year-old daughter, Ariana Sky, shared with ex Jen Harley, was also present for the soiree and spotted in a behind-the-scenes video shared by the MTV star.
Prior to their engagement party, Matos and Ortiz-Magro enjoyed a PDA-filled trip to Florence, Italy, in October to celebrate the eyelash technician’s 31st birthday.
Ortiz-Magro teased his highly anticipated return to the Jersey Shore reboot in August after he was arrested in April following an alleged domestic violence dispute.
At the time of his arrest, Matos cleared the air to fans in a statement. “Ronnie and I are fine. There is a lot of misleading information floating around out there,” she wrote via Instagram Stories. “With anybody who reached out with concern, I appreciate it with all my heart, but everything that’s being portrayed out there are not facts.”
He was later released on $100,000 bond, his attorneys Scott E. Leemon and Leonard Levine revealed the next month.
Afterward, Ortiz-Magro took some time away from filming to focus on his personal life and later shared an update.
“I feel great,” the reality star, who appeared on seasons 1 through 6 of the original series, told TMZ in August. “Four months sober, I quit drinking. Got engaged, full-time father, you know, [I’m] living a good life.”
“I stepped away [from the show] to deal with my mental health, be a father to my child, be a fiancé to my woman,” he further explained. “I’ll be back and, you know, all the fans love me, and I love them too, so, I’m gonna give them what they want, and I’ll see them soon … [It’s] definitely not over.”
Ortiz-Magro later pleaded guilty to violating his parole in September 2021, as the L.A. City Attorney’s Office did not charge him with any domestic violence charge. He was able to avoid any jail time by voluntarily completing an in-patient program for 30 days. As part of his plea agreement, he had to complete 26 parenting courses.
Matos and Ortiz-Magro got engaged over the summer, having shared the news alongside photos of them posing together at a beach in Los Angeles. “I love you,” he wrote on June 21 while sharing the first glimpse at her diamond ring. “Thank you for sticking by my side through thick and thin! Til death do us part! #SheSaidYes.”
The former couple went public with their relationship in November 2020, and they are now in the process of deciding how to proceed going forward.
“Saffire still has her business in NY, so she hasn’t completely transitioned to LA full-time,” says the insider amid the couple’s rough patch. “Friends see it as being a good thing because she can go back home to her family when she needs space and get the support she needs.”