The Rawest Confessions In Jersey Shore Star Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino's Memoir
Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino is most famous for starring on the hit reality series, "Jersey Shore," which aired from 2009 to 2012, and its spinoff, "Jersey Shore: Family Vacation," which began airing in 2018. While Sorrentino's outsized personality and popular catchphrases such as "GTL" (Gym, Tan, Laundry for the uninitiated) have solidified him amongst fans, many will be unaware of the extent of his personal troubles, which Sorrentino highlighted in his memoir, "Reality Check: Making the Best of The Situation — How I Overcame Addiction, Loss, and Prison," which was released in December 2023.
Some of the reality star's issues, such as his eight-month prison sentence for tax evasion, have been well documented. However, what many aren't aware of is the extent of his addiction and legal problems, despite much of it playing out while he was filming. For this reason, Sorrentino is using his memoir to detail some of his most rawest confessions.
Sorrentino was going through withdrawals during one infamous scene
There were many fights on "Jersey Shore." Still, one of the most memorable was the altercation between Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino and Ronnie Ortiz-Magro in 2011. The cast was on a group trip to Italy when the two men got into a heated argument after returning from a nightclub. Years later, in his memoir, Sorrentino revealed he ran out of pills during the overseas trip. The reality star described his mental state as being "sick and depressed," per People. Eventually, the situation escalated into a physical fight, which ended with Sorrentino shockingly headbutting a cement wall.
"All the angst I was enduring boiled up, and for some reason, I decided to launch myself at the wall headfirst. That's right — to show Ronnie [Ortiz-Magro] how ready I was to throw down, I headbutted a wall," he recalled, adding, "I snapped. I hit a wall, literally and figuratively," (via InTouch Weekly). The ordeal resulted in emergency personnel being called and Sorrentino requiring a neck brace.
Thankfully, by the end of the trip, the warring reality stars had buried the hatchet. Ortiz-Magro ultimately stepped away from "Jersey Shore" because of his own addiction issues, but returned during Season 6 of "Family Vacation" to make amends with his roommates. Despite their rocky past, Sorrentino helped orchestrate Ortiz-Magro's return, serving as a mediator between him and the rest of the cast.
Sorrentino's drug dealer shipped him pills during Dancing With The Stars
The year before the headbutting incident occurred, Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino appeared on Season 11 of "Dancing With the Stars," though his time on the series ended in the fourth week. Although the reality star's stint on the show was short-lived, Sorrentino acknowledged that he had his drugs delivered to him during filming. According to the "Jersey Shore" fan favorite, his drug supplier in New Jersey would ship pills to Los Angeles to him via overnight FedEx packages.
"That was one of the hardest shows I've ever done. I practiced eight hours a day, popping six Perc thirties every few hours," Sorrentino wrote (via Us Weekly). Part of his drug use on set was due to a neck injury he sustained while practicing with "DWTS" partner Karina Smirnoff. In December 2023, Sorrentino celebrated eight years of sobriety and has put his legal issues behind him too.
The Situation is happily married to his wife, Lauren Pesce, and, in September 2023, the couple announced they were expecting baby number three. Even with several stunning revelations emerging from "Reality Check: Making the Best of The Situation — How I Overcame Addiction, Loss, and Prison," Sorrentino appears happier than ever.
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).