Ronnie Shouldn't Be Allowed To Return To 'Jersey Shore: Family Vacation'

The Big Picture

• Ronnie Ortiz-Magro is making his return to Jersey Shore: Family Vacation despite his violent history and legal troubles.
• Fans were happy when Ronnie initially stepped away from the show as they felt MTV was ignoring the severity of his actions.
• Ronnie's return may impact Sammi's involvement in the show, as she only agreed to film when Ronnie was not part of it.

It has been nearly three years since Ronnie Ortiz Magro stepped away from filming for Jersey Shore: Family Vacation. Now, he is finally set to make his return to the show as he will reunite with his former roomies during season 7 of the hit spin-off show. But with his violent history and past legal issues, should he be allowed to return to the show?

Ronnie is best remembered for his toxic on-again-off-again relationship with co-star Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola throughout the original series of the show. The two began dating during season one and continued to date on and off for the entire six seasons. Throughout that time, fans watched as some messy, and at times violent, fights unfolded between Ronnie and Sammi. Despite these reoccurring fights, both Ronnie and Sammi continued to film for the show. They remained together after filming came to an end in 2012; however, they ultimately called it quits for good not long after.

Six years later, the entire cast was approached with an offer to return to television for a spin-off of the hit show. Everyone accepted the offer except for Sammi, as she did not want to film alongside her toxic ex. Throughout the spin-off show, fans watched as Ronnie yet again had issues with his new girlfriends, many of which led to arrests for domestic violence allegations. Ronnie’s most recent arrest was in 2021 when his then fiancé called the police following an altercation that turned physical in their home. Ronnie was ultimately taken into custody before later being released. A few weeks after the drama, as the rest of the cast prepared to begin filming for yet another season, Ronnie announced he would be stepping away from the show to focus on himself.

Jersey Shore: Family Vacation

Past members of the cast of "Jersey Shore" reunite to live together and go on vacation in Miami and other destinations.

Ronnie Returns to Filming Despite Past Legal Troubles

When Ronnie first announced that he would be stepping away from filming with the rest of the cast, it was unclear when he would return, if ever. In the last three years, Ronnie has made very few cameo appearances. These small segments were either Ronnie filming alone, giving viewers a life update, or meeting up with co-star Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino. Throughout his hiatus from the show, he had very minimal to no contact with the rest of the cast.

Sammi's Return to 'Jersey Shore’ May Not Be Permanent

Is Sammi Sweetheart back for good, or will “toxic situations” chase her away again?

After Ronnie initially made his announcement that he was taking a break from the show, many fans were happy. They no longer wanted Ronnie to be a part of the hit spin-off series. There is no doubt that Ronnie has had a violent past, both with Sammi and with his baby mama Jenn Harley, and former fiancé Saffire Mattos. A majority of his past relationship dramas have been quite public and even shared on the show. Although he did in fact get in some legal trouble for his domestic violence allegations, fans felt that MTV was ignoring the severity of them as they allowed him to remain on the show, time and time again. Therefore, when he finally stepped away following his most recent arrest, fans were happy to see him facing some consequences for his actions, whether it truly was his decision or encouraged by MTV and the show's producers.

Now that Ronnie’s hiatus from Jersey Shore: Family Vacation is coming to an end, it feels like a slap in the face to some fans. While there is a chance that Ronnie has taken the last three years out of the spotlight to truly better his life and overall mindset, it still does not make what he has done in the past right. By allowing him to return, the show is once again putting him in a position to be praised despite his wrongdoings. Not only has Ronnie had issues with his exes in his personal life, he has also had some differences with his fellow Jersey Shore roommates. His past dramas have ultimately affected the entire cast as they were somewhat involved as well, especially his drama with Jenn, as a majority of it took place on the show or while filming for the show. Towards the end of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation season 6, Ronnie sat down with the entire cast for the first time in a long time. In an emotional segment, Ronnie spoke the truth and apologized for his actions and how they had hurt the rest of the cast, whether it be directly or indirectly. While this was nice to see, it does not necessarily mean Ronnie should be returning to the family vacation.

Putting his past mistakes aside, Ronnie returning to Jersey Shore: Family Vacation ultimately affects one of the best changes to happen to the show. After six seasons without her, Sammi finally agreed to film for the spin-off show last season. The decision came after Ronnie had been away from the show for quite some time. It is assumed that Sammi only agreed to make her long-awaited debut on the show because Ronnie was no longer part of it. Longtime Jersey Shore fans were ecstatic to see her back on their television screens reuniting with her former roommates. Sammi’s return saved Jersey Shore: Family Vacation by adding an exciting and fresh twist to the repetitive show. Now, with Ronnie potentially returning full time, this could change everything for Sammi. It remains unclear what filming will entail for both Ronnie and Sammi for season 7 of the show.

While they are both expected to appear throughout the season, it is unknown if they will in fact film together. Or, they may choose to film separately, making both Sammi and Ronnie each only be in a handful of episodes rather than the entire season. As fans were so ecstatic to see Sammi finally want to film for the show again, her time on the show may become limited because of Ronnie’s unexpected return. If it is in fact true that Sammi only agreed to finally be a part of the spin-off show because Ronnie was no longer filming for it, it is ultimately unfair to her that Ronnie was later allowed to return as well. This puts her in an uncomfortable position that she has tried to avoid for the last six years since Jersey Shore: Family Vacation first aired. Ultimately, many fans do not want to see Ronnie back on the show, especially if it puts Sammi remaining on the show in jeopardy.

Jersey Shore: Family Vacation season 7 premieres on February 8, 2024, at 8pm EST on MTV. All seasons of Jersey Shore are currently available for streaming on Paramount+. Watch on Paramount+

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