Jersey Shore, a reality television show that sparked backlash from politicians when it first aired, is celebrating its 15th anniversary with a new season of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation. And while Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino is a fan favorite, after a six-year hiatus from reality television, he wasn’t sure people would like the person he had become.
“I was definitely a little bit insecure because the fans had grown to love ‘The Situation’ and he had abs and was single and ready to mingle,” Sorrentino told Newsweek. “And at this time in my life, I wasn’t single. I was going through this giant court case…I didn’t have a six pack.”
“I was worried…is America going to love me again?”
When Jersey Shore premiered in 2009, the cast became overnight celebrities, drawing both massive fan followings and sharp criticism. The New Jersey Italian American Legislative Caucus called on Viacom, MTV’s parent company, to pull the show off the air for perpetuating negative stereotypes of Italian Americans. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie stated that the cast misrepresented the state and went so far as to block a $420,000 tax credit for the show.
Despite the strong backlash, the show’s support was even stronger. Premiering the same year that Twitter exploded in popularity, actor Ashton Kutcher actually created some of the cast’s social media handles, Sorrentino said, and they quickly gained millions of followers.
“It was definitely gasoline to the fire,” Sorrentino said. “I was the GQ sensation of the year. I was on Dancing With the Stars, so to say my stock was soaring.”
But, as “The Situation” gained fans for his partying and pot-stirring, what the cameras didn’t pick up was his serious problem with drugs and alcohol.
In the years since the original Jersey Show wrapped, Sorrentino has opened up about his addiction and his road to recovery. He entered rehab in 2015 and has been sober ever since. At the same time, he was in the midst of a court case that would ultimately result in an eight-month jail sentence for tax evasion.
So, when Jersey Shore: Family Vacation premiered in 2018, Sorrentino wasn’t the same guy viewers knew when the show left the air in 2012. It forced Sorrentino to think about what actually made him a successful reality television personality, and he realized it wasn’t his drinking or partying. It was his authenticity.
“That’s where I rebranded myself into Big Daddy Sitch and this person trying to find himself again and my love of food and my sobriety journey and all of those new things for me worked better than before,” Sorrentino said. “It was more relatable to the viewer to be someone trying to grow up.”
Part of his sobriety journey has been helping to open the Archangel Centers in New Jersey, dedicated to helping people overcome their addiction. Launching this summer, Sorrentino views these centers as his legacy, and what once started as something to potentially save one person’s life has transformed into something “really, really big.”
When the Jersey Shore cast returns to television for Season 8 of Family Vacation, viewers will see them travel to South Jersey and adopt a DTF lifestyle—although DTF now stands for “down to farm,” as the cast will explore whether they can handle farm life.
Sorrentino didn’t reveal too many details about the new season, but he seemed confident that he does well on the farm because he actually has eight chickens at his house that provide him with fresh eggs every day.
“Long story short, I think the producers got that creative and they were like let’s throw these guidos and guidettes in that particular scenario,” Sorrentino said. “And then a ton of comedy ensues from there.”
From the farm, the cast travels to Jamaica for their first international trip since visiting Italy, as Sorrentino has only recently gotten his passport back as part of his plea agreement.
And while a lot has changed for the whole cast over the years, Family Vacation still features the stars drinking, partying, and being thrown back into that lifestyle, leaving Sorrentino feeling a bit nervous.
“I remember thinking to myself, listen, I gotta do this for myself, I gotta do this for my future family. I gotta stay in my own lane and I gotta run my own race,” Sorrentino said. “To be honest with you, I go to bars and clubs and I’m happier and dancing more than the people that are drinking.”
Part of still having fun in those environments and maintaining his sobriety was finding the new version of himself. He likened it to getting a new haircut. There could be an awkward period with the transition, but he urged people who are trying to socialize while staying sober to “stick with it, you’re gonna find it.”
“I’m proof that you can rebrand yourself and be better than you were before,” Sorrentino said. “You gotta believe in yourself that you can do this.”
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