Ronnie Ortiz-Magro spoke candidly to Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino about his year of sobriety in his “Jersey Shore: Family Vacation” return.
The “Famously Single” alum, 36, sat down with his co-star, 40, for lunch on Thursday’s episode of the MTV show, marking his first appearance in eight months.
“It’s been a long year,” Ortiz-Magro said in the scene, which was filmed in spring of this year.
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“It’s been a lot of just doing the right thing, being a full-time dad, and being sober,” he continued. “I’m living the best life I can, one day at a time.”
The “Celebrity Fear Factor” alum, who noted that he’s had “basically full-time” custody of his and ex Jen Harley’s 4-year-old daughter, Ariana, added that he has been in a “state of depression” but focusing on “improving.”
He explained in a confessional that after “one of the hardest years” of his life, he misses his castmates.
“I’ve been through some s–t,” Ortiz-Magro said. “I f–ked up. I understand and that’s part of recovery, as well. What matters is I got through it and I’m going to continue to get through it.”
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Sorrentino, for his part, got sober in 2016, and he encouraged his friend to also stay on “the road to redemption.”
He went on to support Ortiz-Magro’s choice to apologize to their co-stars, advising that he say sorry “individually” as his “actions have affected everyone.”
Ortiz-Magro teased his return in August 2021, telling TMZ, “I’ll be back. All the fans love me, and I love them too, so I’m gonna give them what they want, and I’ll see them soon.”
The statement came three months after Ortiz-Magro announced his step back from the show, the same day he dodged charges for an April 2021 arrest over an alleged domestic violence altercation with then-girlfriend Saffire Matos.
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He was on probation at the time for a previous domestic violence charge from an incident with Harley, 34.
The reality star told his Instagram followers last year of his intentions to “seek medical treatment for mental health issues” during his MTV hiatus.
“My number one goal now is facing my struggles head-on,” Ortiz-Magro wrote via Instagram at the time. “This process will be difficult, but my #1 priority is to get healthy and be the best man and the best father I can [be] for my daughter.”
He announced in May of the following year that he was celebrating 365 days sober.
