The Jersey Shore: Family Vacation cast has nothing but kind words for their costar, Ronnie, as he took a break from filming season 5 of the show to focus on improving his mental health. Fans first met Ronnie on the original Jersey Shore when the show aired on MTV in 2009. The star was known for his infamous on and off-again relationship with costar Sammi Sweetheart which caused never-ending drama in the Shore house. While the two tried to make things work even after the show's finale, they ultimately went their separate ways. In 2018, Ronnie welcomed daughter Ariana Sky with then-girlfriend Jen Harley.
Ronnie has been open about his struggles with alcoholism and depression. In 2019, the star was arrested after getting into a heated argument with Jen. The reality TV star allegedly hit his girlfriend and then attempted to kidnap his daughter, Ariana. Ronnie avoided jail time but was sentenced to complete community service, donate to a shelter for abused women, and complete a domestic violence program. In April 2021, the star was once again arrested for domestic violence against his current fiance, Saffire Matos. One month later, Ronnie announced he would be stepping away from filming the show to focus on treating his mental health issues.
While Ronnie has had an intense past couple of years, his costars continue to have his back. In an exclusive interview with Page Six, the Jersey Shore cast was asked about Ronnie's absence and sent him well wishes as he works towards improving his mental health. Pauly D admitted, "we respected his decision to take a step back and focus on mental health because that's what's ultimately the most important thing." The DJ added that he supports Ronnie's decision to sit out season 5. Ronnie also received support from Jenni "JWOWW" Farley, who believes her costar made the right decision not to appear in the season.
Ronnie isn't the first star to take a break from the show. Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi did not appear in the first half of season 4 following an incident at costar Angelina Pivarnick's wedding. Snooki admitted that at the time, she no longer enjoyed doing the show but is glad that she was able to reconcile with Angelina and have a good time with her castmates again. When Vinny Guadagnino was asked about Ronnie, he used costar Mike Sorrentino as an example of someone who was able to make a massive turnaround in his life, suggesting he hopes Ronnie will do the same. The star quoted Mike's favorite line, saying, "the comeback is greater than the setback."
It's great to see that Ronnie has such a great support system, and hopefully, he will be able to follow in Mike's footsteps and turn his life around. His break from the show will certainly be beneficial to his mental health. While he may be missing out on season 5, it will definitely be worth it since, as Pauly D indicated, mental health should be everyone's number one priority. Fans, however, shouldn't worry as the Jersey Shore: Family Vacation cast members can never seem to stay away from the show for long, so there's a good chance Ronnie will be back once he's feeling up to it.
Source: Page Six