Ronnie Ortiz-Magro is back!
The MTV star is returning to the small screen after a brief hiatus to focus on his mental health. On Thursday, the 35-year-old Jersey Shore personality announced the happy news while sharing he’s four months sober, telling TMZ:
“I feel great. Four months sober, I quit drinking. Got engaged, full-time father, you know, living a good life.”
Wow! AH-mazing!
Related: Ronnie Ortiz-Magro’s Ex Jenn Harley Charged With Felony Domestic Assault
As Perezcious readers will recall, the dad of 3-year-old Ariana, whom he shares with ex-girlfriend Jenn Harley, revealed he’d be taking a step back from the popular show in May to focus on his mental health, including issues he felt had been “ignored” for far too long. The hiatus also came at the heels of controversy.
Ronnie was embroiled in a legal battle after being arrested for domestic violence against his now-fiancée Saffire Matos. He was later cleared of any potential felony charges, which was a lucky break given he was still on probation from a 2019 domestic violence case against his baby momma. Matos remained on her beau’s side the entire time, claiming there was a lot of “misleading information floating around there.”
While not addressing the trouble outright, the celeb did express feeling “unstable” and urged he could not “disassociate” from the problems to avoid taking credit for the trauma he may have caused his family. Now that he’s sought treatment for these “mental illness” struggles, the New York native is excited to give fans what they want, adding:
“I stepped away [from Jersey Shore] to deal with my mental health, be a father to my child, be a fiancé to my woman. 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 sounds like he’ll reappear on the show as early as the end of season 5! He told the outlet that despite taking a break, he remained “very close” with producers of the series and that his time is “definitely not over.”
Ortiz-Magro was an original cast member on Jersey Shore through its six-season run beginning in 2009. He went on to lead the spinoff Jersey Shore: Family Vacation until his departure earlier in the year. In May, he told followers on his Instagram Story:
“After talking to the team at MTV, we have mutually agreed that I will step away from the show while I seek medical treatment for mental health issues that I’ve ignored for too long. My number one goal now is facing my struggles head on.”
A month later, he also proposed to his girlfriend, whom he met last fall — so could a Jersey Shore wedding be coming soon? Maybe! The Snooki & Jwoww alum did tell TMZ that the cast would 100% be invited to the wedding because “they’re family” and “12 years strong.” Not on the list? Likely his ex!
Related: Snooki Hopes Her Kids Learn From Her ‘S**t Show’ Jersey Shore Moments!
Either way, it’s pretty clear Ronnie’s ventured into a whole new chapter of his life, with a source dishing to People:
“Ronnie has been taken this time to work on himself and his daughter. For him, he felt like this right time. They’re both really happy for this next chapter. His health and happiness are what is most important.”
Got those priorities straight!
We’re sure many fans cannot wait to see what this new and improved Ronnie has to offer on the show! What about U, Perezcious readers? Are you excited to see this TV star return?
[Image via FayesVision/WENN & MTV/YouTube]
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