Ronnie Ortiz-Magro’s return still brings strong feelings for hisJersey Shorecastmates.
In PEOPLE’s exclusive sneak peek at part 2 of theFamily Vacationreunion, the longtime costars are asked about hisreturn to the seriesand how they felt at that moment.
The clip kicks off withMike “The Situation” Sorrentinosaying that he and Ronnie, 38, keep in touch: “There’s always check-ins, you know, over the past couple of years. He’s been absent. He has beenaddressing his mental health. Things started to go in a positive direction.”
Mike, 41, continues, “Obviously, we didn’t know that Sam was going to come back, so once she did come back, it was a scramble to try to maneuver this very delicate situation.”
(L-R) Angelina Pivarnick, Vinny Guadagnino, Deena Nicole Cortese, Paul “DJ Pauly D” Delvecchio, Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, Jenni “JWOWW” Farley, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola are pictured at ‘Watch What Happens Live’.Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty
Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty
Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola, whodated Ronnie off and onduring the run of the original series, notes how “thankful” she was that her costars didn’t “just surprise me” with thenews of Ronnie’s unexpected return. “It would have been so bad if they did that,” she says.
Addressing Ronnie’s mental health journey and eventual apology to the gang,Jenni “JWoww” Farleysays the whole thing was “hard” to endure.
“It’s hard because I had a really good relationship with him and honestly, there was a lot of damage there,” she acknowledges. “So, it was really hard to digest.”
Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, 36, echoes those sentiments and recalls getting emotional as Ronnie returned and apologized because “I was super close with Ron. He was like my brother — my big brother.”
She continues, “When he walked in, he just looked so nervous. I was willing to listen to him because the fact that he’s here, he’s going to talk to all of us, he pulled out a piece of paper with, like, his feelings [on it]. It broke my heart because at some point in my life, I did love him so much.”
(L-R) Ronnie Ortiz-Magro and Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola are pictured hosting at Jet Nightclub at The Mirage on March 6, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada.getty
getty
As for his future on the show, Sammi says she “knew” upon returning that Ronnie eventually “might” do the same.
“Their relationships with him doesn’t affect my relationships with these people anymore,” Sammi, 36, says of her castmates. “We’re too separate [people]. We’re adults. I can totally handle it.”
She adds, “From this point on, he’s a coworker that I just have to deal with. But I don’t need to associate with him and we can just keep it moving.”
Ronnie had been aJersey Shoremainstay since the series debuted in 2009. He returned with many of his fellow castmates to theFamily Vacationspinoff in 2018. However, he confirmed in May 2021 that he would bestepping away from the showto seek treatment for mental health issues.
Ronnie Ortiz-Magro is pictured attending the brand Inna ELSIE new collection “Royaly” launch event at Basbussa on May 03, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.Paul Archuleta/Getty
Paul Archuleta/Getty
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source: people.com
