All About Sammi Sweetheart’s Long-Awaited Return to 'Jersey Shore'

As Benjamin Franklin once said, nothing in life is certain except death, taxes and Jersey Shore—or at least that’s what he would have said if he’d been alive in 2009 when America’s favorite, self-proclaimed guidos and guidettes burst on the scene. For six blissful seasons, Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi and their comrades educated MTV viewers on the importance of GTL, T-shirt time and not falling in love at the Jersey Shore.

MTV canceled the show in 2012, but the meatball gods smiled upon us six years later and reinstated it as Family Vacation. There was still one thing missing, however: Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola. Known as "the sweetest bitch you’ll ever meet"—her words—Sammi found herself at the center of drama time and again on the original series, thanks mostly to her off-and-on boyfriend Ronnie Ortiz-Magro. When the rest of the cast agreed to reunite for another round of antics, Sammi understandably declined to participate.

Related: Original Jersey Shore Cast Member Makes Unexpected Return to Franchise

As a teaser for Family Vacation Season 7 promises, though, that’s all about to change. Sammi is finally coming back, and apparently so is the drama. Keep reading for everything to know about the prodigal daughter’s return to the shore house.

When did Sammi Sweetheart leave Jersey Shore?

Sammi was one of the original cast members of Jersey Shore, which ran for six seasons from December 2009 to December 2012. She sparked a romance with Ronnie Ortiz-Magro right away in Season 1, but their relationship was never smooth-sailing. They broke up and got back together several times over the course of the show, finally calling it quits for good in 2014, two years after the original series ended.

MTV announced the revival series Jersey Shore: Family Vacation in 2017 and invited Sammi to participate, but she declined. She has not appeared on any episode of Family Vacation since it debuted in April 2018.

Why did Sammi Sweetheart leave Jersey Shore?

When the original series ended, Sammi and Ronnie were a couple and planning to move in together. Their relationship lasted for two more years before they split and moved on with other people. By the time Family Vacation was announced in 2017, Sammi was happily dating Christian Biscardi, to whom she later got engaged. (She confirmed their breakup in 2021.)

Ahead of the Family Vacation premiere, Sammi explained that she didn’t want to return to the show because she had fully moved on with her life. “I have chosen not to join the show this season because I am at a completely different place in my life right now focusing on my businesses and relationship,” she wrote via Instagram in March 2018. “I am not the same person as I was when I was 22. At 31, I am currently extremely happy in every aspect of my life and want to avoid potentially TOXIC SITUATIONS.”

Sammi didn’t mention Ronnie by name, but she gave a shout-out to her other castmates. “It was a difficult decision as I love my roomies,” she told her followers. “I’ve decided to focus on me, my future and what truly makes me happy.”

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When did Sammi and Ronnie break up?

After meeting in Season 1 of Jersey Shore in 2009, Sammi and Ronnie dated off and on until 2014.

Why did Sammi and Ronnie break up?

Who really knows what goes on behind closed doors, but during the series premiere of Family Vacation in 2018, Ronnie revealed to his roommates that he and Sammi split because they weren’t on the same page about their marriage timeline. “She was like, ‘I wanna get married in six months,’ and I’m like, ‘I’m still trying to figure my life out.’ I got cold feet,” Ronnie recalled. “I ended up cheating. She found out. I blew it. It’s over.”

Are Sammi and Ronnie on good terms?

Ronnie confirmed the end of his relationship with Sammi in August 2014, telling Us Weekly: “Me and Sammi aren’t together anymore. We just grew our separate ways. She’s still a great person. I love her as a person and I care about her but we went our separate ways. That’s it.”

After their split, Sammi moved on with Christian Biscardi and Justin May, while Ronnie dated Jen Harley and Saffire Matos. He and Jen welcomed a daughter, Ariana, in April 2018. Even though both Sammi and Ronnie were in new relationships when Family Vacation began, Ronnie’s involvement in the series was reportedly still a dealbreaker for Sammi, suggesting that they are not on good terms.

Ronnie took a hiatus from the show in 2021 after he was arrested for felony domestic violence, but even then, Sammi didn’t return. “I’m surprised that she hasn’t come back yet … now that Ronnie’s not here,” Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino told Us Weekly in January 2022.

Is Sammi still friends with the rest of the Jersey Shore cast?

For some years after Jersey Shore ended, Sammi maintained a close friendship with her castmates, attending Snooki’s 2014 wedding to Jionni LaValle and Deena Cortese’s bridal shower. More recently, however, Snooki claimed that Sammi blocked her on social media. “I went to go message her a while ago and she blocked me,” Snooki told E! News in September 2022. “I don’t know what I did. It’s unfortunate because we would love for her to come back. She’s a part of the show. I feel like it’s not full unless all of us are there. It’s sad.”

As recently as January 2023, Deena told Us Weekly that it was “safe to say” Sammi had no further interest in the world of Jersey Shore. “She’s just living her best life,” Deena added.

Is there a trailer for Sammi's return to Jersey Shore?

MTV revealed Sammi’s return in a May 2023 teaser for Season 7. “Hey, guys, sorry I’m late,” she quipped before greeting her roommates.

While the teaser doesn’t offer a ton of hints about why Sammi is there, it seems possible that not all is copacetic between her and the meatballs, as the clip shows both Snooki and Deena crying and threatening to go home.

What is Sammi Sweetheart doing now?

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Sammi still lives in New Jersey and runs a boutique in Ocean City called Sweetheart Coast. She also has an online store called Sweetheart Styles, where she sells clothing, accessories and home goods.

Who is Sammi Sweetheart dating in 2023?

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Sammi is dating Justin May, who like his girlfriend is a New Jersey native. Sammi first teased their romance in November 2021, sharing an Instagram photo of herself with May with the caption, “Thankful.” In August 2022, the duo celebrated their one-year anniversary. “The best 365 days with you,” Sammi wrote via Instagram alongside several snaps with her beau. Fun fact: Justin used to bartend at Bamboo Bar, one of the roommates’ beloved Seaside Heights hangouts.

When is Sammi coming back to Jersey Shore?

Sammi will return during Season 7 of Jersey Shore, but a premiere date hasn’t yet been announced. It’s also not clear whether she’s returning for the entire season or just a handful of episodes.

How to watch Sammi’s return to Jersey Shore

Jersey Shore: Family Vacation airs on MTV Thursdays (aka Jerzdays) at 8 p.m. ET. Episodes are also available to stream via Paramount+.

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