“Jersey Shore” Reunion: Ronnie's Costars Reflect on His 'Damage' and the 'Delicate Situation' with Sammi (Exclusive)

In PEOPLE's exclusive sneak peek, Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino admits "it was a scramble to try to maneuver" the long-time-coming reunion between exes Ronnie Ortiz-Magro and Sammi "Sweetheart" Giancola

Ronnie Ortiz-Magro's return still brings strong feelings for his Jersey Shore castmates.

In PEOPLE's exclusive sneak peek at part 2 of the Family Vacation reunion, the longtime costars are asked about his return to the series and how they felt at that moment.

The clip kicks off with Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino saying that he and Ronnie, 38, keep in touch: "There's always check-ins, you know, over the past couple of years. He's been absent. He has been addressing his mental health. Things started to go in a positive direction."

Mike, 41, continues, "Obviously, we didn't know that Sam was going to come back, so once she did come back, it was a scramble to try to maneuver this very delicate situation."

Related: Sammi 'Sweetheart' Was 'Scared as S---' to Return to 'Jersey Shore': 'What If They Don't Want Me?' (Exclusive)

Sammi "Sweetheart" Giancola, who dated Ronnie off and on during the run of the original series, notes how "thankful" she was that her costars didn't "just surprise me" with the news of Ronnie's unexpected return. "It would have been so bad if they did that," she says.

Addressing Ronnie's mental health journey and eventual apology to the gang, Jenni "JWoww" Farley says the whole thing was "hard" to endure.

"It's hard because I had a really good relationship with him and honestly, there was a lot of damage there," she acknowledges. "So, it was really hard to digest."

Related: 'Jersey Shore': Ronnie's Apology Brings the Roommates to Tears in 'Family Vacation' (Exclusive)

Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, 36, echoes those sentiments and recalls getting emotional as Ronnie returned and apologized because "I was super close with Ron. He was like my brother — my big brother."

She continues, "When he walked in, he just looked so nervous. I was willing to listen to him because the fact that he's here, he's going to talk to all of us, he pulled out a piece of paper with, like, his feelings [on it]. It broke my heart because at some point in my life, I did love him so much."

As for his future on the show, Sammi says she "knew" upon returning that Ronnie eventually "might" do the same.

"Their relationships with him doesn't affect my relationships with these people anymore," Sammi, 36, says of her castmates. "We're too separate [people]. We're adults. I can totally handle it."

She adds, "From this point on, he's a coworker that I just have to deal with. But I don't need to associate with him and we can just keep it moving."

Related: Sammi 'Sweetheart' Reveals How She Felt Seeing Ronnie on 'Jersey Shore: Family Vacation' (Exclusive)

Ronnie had been a Jersey Shore mainstay since the series debuted in 2009. He returned with many of his fellow castmates to the Family Vacation spinoff in 2018. However, he confirmed in May 2021 that he would be stepping away from the show to seek treatment for mental health issues.

"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," he previously wrote on his Instagram Story. "My number one goal now is facing my struggles head on. This process will be difficult, but my #1 priority is to get healthy and be the best man and the best father I can for my daughter."

Following an eight-month hiatus, Ronnie officially returned to Jersey Shore: Family Vacation and announced that he is one year sober. He also shared that he has "basically full-time" custody of his daughter Ariana, 5, whom he shares with ex Jen Harley.

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Jersey Shore: Family Vacation airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on MTV.

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