Reality TV
Ronnie Ortiz-Magro Reveals He’s 4 Months Sober and Will ‘Definitely Be Back’ on ‘Jersey Shore’
Ronnie Ortiz-Magro revealed he’s four months sober and will “definitely” return to Jersey Shore following a brief hiatus.
“I feel great. Four months sober, I quit drinking. Got engaged, full-time father, you know, living a good life,” he told a TMZ reporter while walking in Beverly Hills on Thursday, August 26.
“I stepped away from it to deal with my mental health, to be father to my child, be a fiancé to my woman, and you know, I’ll be back,” he said. “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.”
The father of one, who shares daughter Ariana Sky with ex Jen Harley, added that his journey on the hit MTV series is “definitely not over.” He assured, “I promise you.”
In May, Ronnie announced he would be stepping away from Jersey Shore: Family Vacation in order to focus on his health and wellbeing.
“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 wrote in a statement on his Instagram Story at the time.
One month later, Ronnie proposed to girlfriend Saffire Matos. “I love you,” he captioned a photo via Instagram showing off her gorgeous diamond ring on June 21. “Thank you for sticking by my side through thick and thin! Till death do us part! #SheSaidYes.”
The longtime reality star reportedly got down on one knee during a private picnic on a beach in Los Angeles on June 19, a source told People.
“Ronnie has been taken this time to work on himself and his daughter,” the insider said about his romantic gesture over Father’s Day weekend. “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.”
Ronnie and Saffire, 31, went public with their relationship on Instagram in October 2020, sharing their first photos as a couple from their tropical getaway to Dorado Reef in Puerto Rico, which he captioned, “BearCations.”
As for his current relationship with Jen, it seems like the tumultuous pair are in a better place.
“I’ve moved on. She lives her life, I live my life,” Ronnie told TMZ. “That’s basically what it comes down to.”
Previously, Jen told In Touch that the on-and-off pair “would just sweep things under the rug” but “wouldn’t ever go to therapy or get self-help or do anything like that,” she admitted. “So when we would fight, it would just blow up again and then that was our cycle.”
Jersey Shore: Family Vacation returned to MTV in June for the second half of season 4. Ronnie told TMZ he would “hopefully” be back at “the end of season five.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741.
