Ronnie Ortiz-Magro stunned fans of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation with an announcement he would take a step back from his work on the series to focus on his mental health. This came after an April arrest on suspicion of domestic violence.
A new report alleges that it may not have all been Ronnie’s decision.
A source close to the show claimed to The Sun claimed his castmates had a lot to do with the decision. “The entire cast has said they don’t want to film with him because they believe he is not mentally stable.”
“They feel he is a ticking time bomb and he makes all of them look bad,” the source continued.
Prior to a post on his Instagram story where Ronnie announced he would step back from the series after 11 years, the Sun reported that his castmates “were uncomfortable filming with him moving forward.”
“The cast doesn’t know if Ronnie has been politely fired. He has been part of the filming until now, but they don’t know if anything he has filmed will air,” the report stated.
Ronnie said he would take a leave from the MTV series
Ronnie posted a statement to his Instagram story on May 13 and shared the news with his 2 million followers. This came on the heels of Ronnie’s arrest in California for suspicion of domestic violence in April against Saffire Matos.
“After talking to the team at MTV, we have mutually agreed that I will step away from the show while I seek medical treatment for mental health issues that I’ve ignored for too long,” he wrote.
“My number one goal now is facing my struggles head on. This process will be difficult but my #1 priority is to get healthy and be the best man and the best father I can for my daughter,” the statement concluded.
Since his admission, Ronnie has used his Instagram story as a tool to inspire others who are struggling with mental health issues. He regularly posts inspirational messages to encourage others who may be finding life challenging.
Will Ronnie appear on the second half of JSFV Season 4?
A new trailer for the long-running MTV series does not feature Ronnie. The Sun story alleges this was a conscious move on the part of the series to facilitate his exit.
The new teaser does feature castmates Paul “Pauly D” DelVecchio, Jenni “JWoww” Farley, Vinny Guadagnino, Angelina Pivarnick, Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, and Deena Cortese.
Fans were shocked when they learned that Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi had returned to the series after taking a leave to focus on her family with her husband Jionni LaValle. MTV has not announced whether Nicole’s return will be long-term or just for this season.
Jersey Shore: Family Vacation returns Thursday, June 3 at 8/7c on MTV.