Ronnie Ortiz-Magro will officially return to the Jersey Shore: Family Vacation main cast for Season 7, and he’s expected to have a highly-anticipated reunion with his ex-girlfriend.
While he made an appearance during Season 6 to visit with castmates, he wasn’t part of the main cast.
That was due to his ex Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola returning to that season’s cast after spending over ten years away from Jersey Shore.
Her lengthy hiatus arrived after a tumultuous relationship involving her and Ronnie, which happened during Jersey Shore’s run on MTV and shortly after the show concluded. They ultimately broke up for good in 2016.
After her time away from the show, Sammi revealed she had matured and moved past all the previous issues and drama and would “co-exist” with her ex if she had to on Family Vacation.
Based on the recently revealed Family Vacation Season 7 poster, they’ll finally reunite after avoiding one another in the previous season.
New Family Vacation poster features Ronnie with the cast
On Friday, MTV’s Jersey Shore social media revealed a Family Vacation Season 7 promotional poster showing the entire cast.
The colorful photo features last season’s main cast, shown in the fake yellow outline of a house, with Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino crouched down front and center as he lowered his shades.
Sammi, Angelina Pivarnick, Jenni “JWoww” Farley, and Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi are behind him. Next to Snook is Ronnie, laughing or beaming a bright smile for the image.
In the background are a smiling Vinny Guadagnino, Deena Cortese with one arm raised, and Paul “Pauly D” DelVecchio, who appears to be giving a fist pump.
“The reunion you’ve been waiting for!” text teases in the upper left corner of the poster, with “Jerzday Feb 8” at 8 p.m. revealed in the lower right corner.
Fans react to Ronnie’s return to MTV show’s cast
Ronnie’s confirmed appearance in the new season’s main cast triggered mixed reactions. Many fans blasted his return and the idea of him being around Sammi again.
“Why are we bringing back ronny? he’s never gonna change,” a commenter wrote.
Another suggested that Sammy wanted “to be as far away from Ron” as she could in the poster.
“I can only imagine how hard it is to pretend your ex isn’t an abuser,” a commenter wrote, with another saying, “Ron better leave Sammi alone.”
Ronnie appeared as a main cast member for the Family Vacation spin-off’s first four seasons before he decided to leave the show to focus on his sobriety and mental health issues.
Mike regularly contacted him throughout that time to check his progress.
Ronnie was still featured as a guest cast member in parts of Seasons 5 and 6 but was considered a recurring cast member in the second half of Season 6.
Ronnie mentioned talking to Sammi again years after their split
Ronnie returned in the second half of Season 6 to visit with his Jersey Shore castmates and start making amends for past behavior. However, Sammi was not part of the group when he got there.
She received a heads-up from castmate Mike about Ronnie’s visit, which allowed Sammi and her current boyfriend, Justin May, to go somewhere else for the day and avoid an awkward encounter with her ex.
Once Ronnie had left and Sammi returned to see her castmates, she talked about being in the cast together again.
“I mean, I can co-exist,” Sammi said, adding, “I’m in a different place in my life. His s***show isn’t my s***show anymore.”
Along with talking to the group, Ronnie had private conversations with castmates Snooki and Angelina during MTV’s aired footage last season. When speaking with Snooki, he talked about seeing Sammi again and believed it would have to happen.
“I don’t know. I hope we can have a normal conversation. I hope she’s down for it. It has to happen eventually,” Ronnie said.
Based on the poster above and the Family Vacation teaser trailer released weeks ago, the exes will finally have that moment in Season 7. The exes could exchange pleasantries or have more to say regarding what occurred in their dramatic relationship.
Jersey Shore: Family Vacation Season 7 premieres Thursday, February 8 at 8/7c on MTV.
Sammi needs to get over it. Almost a decade ago. Love that Ronnie is back!