Vinny Guadagnino has his own chapter in Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino’s tell-all book, but that doesn’t mean he approved of every story in it.
“He could have probably left out a couple details. I was like, ‘Is this necessary?’” Vinny, 36, exclusively told Us Weekly of Mike’s book while promoting the new season of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation. “He just gave the juicy scoop of everything.”
Mike, 42, released his tell-all, Reality Check: Making the Best of The Situation, in November 2023. He detailed his ups and downs with addiction and the darker side of his time on Jersey Shore. Mike also revealed that MTV never aired “a devil’s threesome in Miami with Vinny and a girl we brought home from the club” and an orgy with Vinny and Paul “DJ Pauly D” DelVecchio.
Despite airing some of Vinny’s dirty laundry in the book, Vinny told Us that Mike is “an inspiration” after overcoming his drug and alcohol problems.
“The book I’m sure is very helpful to people that are dealing with sobriety and stuff like that,” Vinny explained. “One of the things that Mike said to me once that kind of didn’t really click in my head is, ‘Most people that go through that don’t make it out to the other side.’”
That resonated with Vinny, who noted that Mike is in a “tiny minority” that made it through to the other side.
“That’s why I wrote the book, because I made it to the other side,” Mike told Us during a joint interview. “I was at nine years of sobriety going on three kids. And I was like, when it’s time, tell the story [of] The Situation that people didn’t know.”
MTV shook up reality TV — and introduced fans to the GTL lifestyle (a.k.a. gym, tan, laundry) — in 2009 with the premiere of Jersey Shore. The series quickly made household names out of stars Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, Vinny Guadagnino, Jenni “JWoww” Farley, Angelina Pivarnick, Paul “DJ Pauly D” Delvecchio, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, Samantha “Sammi Sweetheart” […]
Looking back, both Mike and Vinny are surprised that they were able to survive the early days of Jersey Shore when they were partying nonstop.
“A lot of my friends, they say, if I was in your position in my early twenties, they’re like, I would be dead because of all of the stuff that we went through back then,” Vinny said, suggesting that anyone struggling now should “just have therapy” to make sure “you’re processing it all the right way.”
Vinny — who is taking on the TCS New York City Marathon on November 3, by New York Road Runners — recommended that up-and-coming stars “surround yourself with good real people, not just Hollywood leeches and stuff like that.”
When Jersey Shore premiered on MTV in 2009, viewers got to watch the personal lives of eight housemates from New Jersey — and many fans are still keeping up with the group. Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola and Ronnie Ortiz-Magro‘s on and off relationship quickly became a largestory line as they tried to make things work. Following […]
Mike, meanwhile, suggested that everyone does “a risk assessment tool on your brain on how to make decisions a little better.” He added, “Life is a product of your decisions. And if you’re intoxicated, sometimes it’s impossible.”
Being able to reflect on the past has led to more authentic versions of Mike and Vinny on Jersey Shore: Family Vacation.
Mike told Us that he “can’t be fake” anymore and has to “tell it how it is,” teasing that viewers will “definitely” see that side of him this season.
“I do walk the fine line of being a father and a husband in my sobriety and how close I am with the castmates,” Mike said. “But then if I have a disagreement with somebody, you guys are going to know as well.”
When it comes to Vinny’s onscreen drama, Mike teased, “His villain arc is coming. This is the first time, I think, in 15 years that he’s had a little bit of beef in the season.”
Vinny joked “it’s like a 20-second beef” involving castmate Jenni “JWoww” Farley that doesn’t linger.
“Me and Jenni are fine. Sometimes you get into little disagreements. I am a little sarcastic a—, and I kind of flirt with the line of what’s taking it too far. But my intentions are never malicious. Everyone knows that. But [I’m] going to ruffle a few feathers.”
Jersey Shore: Family Vacation premieres on MTV Thursday, September 19, at 8 p.m. ET.
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi