‘Jersey Shore’ Drama Is Popping Off: Costar Feuds, Arrests and More

Ah, the good ol’ GTL days. Several of the stars from Jersey Shore: Family Vacation faced tough times in the past few years, whether it’s dealing with relationship struggles or prison time. Jenni “JWoww” Farley finalized her divorce from husband Roger Mathews, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro and ex Jen Harley had plenty of legal drama and Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino served time in prison for tax evasion.

But the drama isn’t just happening off screen. At the end of season 3, JWoww, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi and Deena Cortese gave a speech at Angelina Pivarnick’s wedding that drove a wedge through the whole cast. It even led some fans to wonder if Angelina might just leave the show like she did back in 2010. She hinted on Instagram that she’s not going anywhere — but one star is taking a step back.

In December 2019, Snooki announced she won’t be returning for season 4. “I am retiring from Jersey Shore. The main reason is really … I just can’t do it anymore,” she told listeners on her podcast. “Literally, leaving my kids to film it is really hard on me. I try and quit every single day. I just hate being away from the kids. I don’t like partying three days in a row. It’s just not my life anymore. I want to be home with the kids. It’s just really hard for me to leave the kids and film the show.”

Her decision was also fueled by the way fights on the show tend to become real-life rivalries. “Our show, Jersey Shore, is about family and making fun of each other and having a good time and laughing and just knowing that it’s all in good fun … Lately, everything is so serious,” she continued. “It’s not about a team anymore. Fans are against one another when it comes to a cast member. I don’t want that.”

Viewers have been pitting the Jersey Shore stars against each other — and she even had to clap back when the drama spilled over into her Instagram DMs. “Thank you for these kind and wise words of yours,” Snooki snarked in response to some major hate. “It’s greatly appreciated. Thank you for supporting and watching our show! Stay safe in this crazy world.”

Scroll through the gallery below to see all the drama and scandals the Jersey Shore stars have dealt with in recent years.