Ronnie Ortiz-Magro Shares Major Life Update in Surprise Jersey Shore Appearance

Ronnie Ortiz-Magro has no regrets about stepping away from the shore. 

Nearly two years after leaving Jersey Shore: Family Vacation to focus on his mental health, the 37-year-old made a surprise appearance on the MTV series to update fans on what he's up to now.

"I feel like I needed a change of scenery and just a change of pace in my life," Ronnie shared in the March 23 episode. "I've decided to move from Los Angeles to Miami and open up a new business. It's a sneaker store called SneakerClinic."

But he's not moving alone.

In his confessional interview, Ronnie revealed he now has full custody of his 4-year-old Ariana with ex Jen Harley. 

"It's a lot of hard work, but she keeps me balanced," he explained. "She calms my world. I didn't have the perfect situation with her mother, but she's turned out perfect. She's so sweet and so polite."

This father-daughter relationship may not have been possible without Ronnie taking the time to work on himself. For the past couple of years, the MTV star said he was "in a bad situation and I almost lost everything that I built."

"I almost lost my daughter," he continued. "I was in treatment for eight or nine months, but it helped me grow and it made me a stronger person."

While it's unclear if Ronnie will be making additional appearances on Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, he's not the only former cast member to make a recent visit to the shore.

More than 10 years after first saying goodbye to the series, Sammi "Sweetheart" Giancola, who Ronnie dated on and off during the original show's run, started filming with her cast members, including Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, Jenni "JWoww" Farley and Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino.

"She's still the sweetest bitch you'll ever meet," the official Jersey Shore Instagram account shared March 11 with a camera emoji. "@sammisweetheart #JSFamilyVacation." 

Jersey Shore: Family Vacation airs Thursday nights at 8 p.m. on MTV.