Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino Speaks Out After His Prison Release - 'I'm A Changed Man'

Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino is speaking out on air for the first time since his release from prison this month.

After serving his eight-month sentence at the Otisville Federal Correctional Institution in Otisville, New York for tax evasion, the 38-year-old is finally ready to open up about his experience publicly.

In his first interview with Entertainment Tonight, the MTV star reveals what he missed most while behind bars, how his reality TV costars have motivated him, and his plans for a fresh start.

Speaking with ET’s Brooke Anderson, the Jersey Shore Family Vacation star says:

“I definitely feel like I’m a changed man.”

And he’s feeling better than ever! Sorrentino continued (below):

“Oh my God, to be a free man, to be honest with you, it’s awesome. It’s fantastic. I have my beautiful wife next to me. I’m healthy, I’m sober, back at work with my best friends on the No. 1 show on MTV and just living the dream.”

Of course, what he missed most while behind bars was spending time with his wife Lauren Pesce:

“You sort of take your freedom for granted sometimes. Once you get out, you are taking advantage [of] every minute. Every second, every meal, every conversation with my beautiful wife, with my friends. I love my job, so I am on such an awesome road and we are very excited to see what the future has to offer.”

Ultimately, he’s proud of himself for staying positive through his sentence, which began on January 15, 2019:

“Our main goal throughout the whole process was to handle it with grace and class. Not only for ourselves but to show the young generation out there how to handle adversity and move forward and continue to be the best, even if you make mistakes.”

But let’s not forget about his Jersey Shore family! Being about to watch his reality TV castmates (and even getting visited by them) was also a huge motivator for staying positive:

“It’s a very uncomfortable situation from start to finish [but] it’s not the end of the world. I didn’t feel sorry for myself, but any time something good happened in our lives, I would be in my feels for that. I was very proud of the Jersey Shore Family Vacation that was airing on TV and it was our wedding [being played out], so every single week I was in prison but I was watching myself on screen. I was just proud of myself that, even under extreme stress and adversity, I was still able to do my job and do it well, and still able to earn an income while in prison.”

Watch the full interview HERE!