Sammi ‘Sweetheart’ Giancola is officially back on Jersey Shore! The show’s former cast member, who hasn’t appeared in an episode since 2012, appeared in the May 4 episode of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation. The season finale ended with a flash forward to “a few months later,” and Sammi surprising the group with her comeback. She arrived to a cast meet-up with Angelina Pivarnick and was heard asking Angelina, “Did you tell the girls that you DMed me?” Angelina responded, “No,” so everyone was shook to see Sammi show up.
When she entered the room, Sammi addressed the group. “Hey guys,” she said. “Sorry I’m late!” The look of shock on everyone’s faces could not be hidden. “Is this real!?” Pauly D wondered. “Are you a hologram? Is this AI?!” The reactions were priceless as everyone took in the fact that Sammi was standing in front of them. Unfortunately, the fun-filled reunion doesn’t appear to last long. Other clips from the trailer showed Sammi hanging out with the girls and seemingly getting heated. “You talk so much,” she said at one point. “Just shut up. Hold on, don’t make it messier.” In a confessional, she threw it back to her original tagline and assured fans, “I’m still the sweetest b**** you’ll ever meet!”
Sammi’s ex, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, is also making a comeback. Ronnie left the show in 2021 to get treatment after he was arrested for domestic violence (he was never officially charged following the arrest). He filmed a few episodes of season 5 before his departure, and his last full-time appearance on the show aired in Jan. 2022. After his exit, Ronnie filmed two scenes with Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, which aired in Aug. 2022 and March 2023. However, he was no longer on speaking terms with the rest of his cast members at the time, due to his past issues and mistakes. Mike urged him to make amends, and it looks like he’s finally ready to do so.
“I’m ready to come back, I’m doing real good, bro,” Ronnie told Mike in the new trailer. Mike was worried about how everyone else would react to Ronnie returning, though. “What about the squad?” he asked Ron. “It’s not easy for me to keep a secret. I can’t say anything because it’s not my job to tell your story.” We’ll have to wait and see how Ronnie handles that aspect of it. However, he WAS photographed filming scenes with the cast in April 2023, so it appears that the reconciliation worked out.
Meanwhile, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi and Deena Cortese look like they’re going to have a rough go at it in the upcoming season. Scenes from the previews show them breaking down in tears and begging to go home from a cast trip. However, it’s unclear what gets them to that point. There is definitely continued drama between the girls and Angelina, though. The trailer began with Ang venting to Mike about how Snooki and Deena “inserted themselves” in her latest beef with Jenni “JWoww” Farley, which stemmed from the way Jenni reacted to Angelina’s engagement to Vinny Tortorella.
Sammi was one of the original Jersey Shore cast members and appeared on all six original seasons of the show in 2009-2012. She had a tumultuous relationship with Ronnie during that time, and they ended things for good in 2014. When Jersey Shore returned with the revival series Jersey Shore: Family Vacation in 2018, Sammi opted not to be part of it.
“I am at a completely different place in my life right now, focusing on my businesses and my relationship,” Sammi explained at the time. “I am not the same as I was when I was 22. At 31, I’m currently extremely happy in every aspect of my life and want to avoid potentially toxic situations.” In March 2023, MTV confirmed that Sammi was filming for the show again for the first time in 11 years. She was then seen in Florida with the cast during the same trip where Ronnie was also in attendnace. However, at this point, it’s unclear whether or not they filmed any scenes together.