‘Jersey Shore’ Comes Back For Reunion Show, What Crew Kept Hidden All These Years

Jersey Shore brought GTL (gym, tan, laundry) and fist pumping into the mainstream. The reality show debuted in 2009 on MTV. Even though Jersey Shore was only on until 2012, the impact on pop culture was enormous. Now, in 2018 Jersey Shore has made a return with Jersey Shore Family Vacation. So that means it’s time to hear everything the crew kept under wraps while filming. Can you believe the gang is back? Well, everyone except for Sammi “Sweetheart,” but we’ll get to that later. Still, we get to reunite with all of our favorites from Snooki, Mike ‘the Situation,’ Vinny, JWoww, Deena, Pauly D and Ronnie. All of these Jersey Shore cast members brought us tons of entertainment from the shores of New Jersey to Italy and back.

A lot has changed since Jersey Shore first aired. Of course, you may already know some updates. Perhaps, you’ve heard about Snooki’s life and her marriage to Jionni. Let’s not forget her two babies as well! As her Instagram bio says, “Just a proud Mom/Wife trying to make it through the day.” Oh and of course, she added a wine glass emoji on the end. Classic Snooki! Yes, she also appeared on Dancing with the Stars. Snooki and the other stars sure have had their ups and downs, but fans have always supported them since the beginning. However, it was sometimes hard to determine what was done for the sake of the show and what was authentic. Anyway, we’ll get into that more later. Many either loved or hated Jersey Shore. It was often referred to as trashy television due to the reality show nature. Well, there are many things even the die-hard fans never knew about the show and its production. Some things that were stipulated in these stars’ contracts may really surprise you. Also we are here to tell you what’s what with everything you watched happen on the show. Six seasons, many hookups, lots of drunken antics and odd jobs later, MTV decided to bring the friends back together. Jersey Shore once took the world by storm. Now, since it’s back, it’s time to unveil everything that really went on behind the scenes, that didn’t appear on camera. Cabs are here! Okay, well not the cabs, but the facts are so buckle up and get ready to hear them!

Began As A Guido Competition

Even though Jersey Shore became a show about a specific group of Italian-Americans enjoying summer life at the beach, it began as something else entirely. Apparently, before the show got its name, it was supposed to be more like MTV’s other reality competition shows.

They intended to have men compete for the title of “best Guido.” However, once executive producer SallyAnn Salsano signed onto the project that all changed. She wanted it to be more like MTV’s The Real World.

They Almost Had A New Cast After First Season

Jersey Shore revolved around the casts’ personalities and of course, misadventures. Yet, it was never intended to follow one group of people around the entire series. Actually, they initially planned to introduce a new cast every single season.

Yet again, like the MTV show, The Real World. However, Jersey Shore became so popular that they adjusted their plan and stuck to the original seven, plus Deena as long as they could.

Lack Of Privacy

As is the case with other reality shows, privacy is not an option. While MTV filmed the cast they were very limited in their allowed privacy.

Apparently, they could only have one private phone call each week. Every other time they were filmed on that famous duck phone. Wow, that had to be tough!

Why The Show Ended

Many fans were really sad to see the show end in 2012 while it was doing so well. Actually, one main reason the show ended was because Snooki was pregnant. Since she got pregnant in the 6th season, they realized the party show couldn’t be the same as she became a mom and started a family.

Other cast members agreed it was the right time to end Jersey Shore. In addition, producer SallyAnn Salsano thought it was better for the show to end on a high note and let the cast grow up as they wanted.

The Governor Hated The Show

Although the show had very high ratings, not everyone was a fan. Lots of locals felt the show misrepresented New Jersey. Actually, governor Chris Christie hated the show and became its biggest critic. He felt it made people from his state look trashy and uneducated so he even vetoed a 420,000 tax incentive given to Jersey Shore.

In addition, Republican John DiMaio wrote a bill limiting speech earnings at public universities to $10,000 after Snooki got paid $32,000 for her speech at a NJ university. Christie then signed what was nicknamed the Snooki Bill.

Angelina Left To Start A Singing Career

If you’ve seen Jersey Shore, you remember Angelina Pivarnick from the first season. Yes, she was part of the original cast. However, she refused to work in the t-shirt shop and got booted because of that. Then she came back in season two but left again after fighting with Mike the Situation and Snooki.

Anyway, after leaving she tried to launch her singing career. Sadly, her career did not take off. Thus, she tried some other reality shows before embarking on a career as an NYC EMT.

Anelina’s Replacement Auditioned For The First Season

Once Angelina left, they wanted someone to replace her and cast Deena. Actually, Snooki and Deena were already friends in real life. Apparently, Deena had auditioned for the first season.

Some say she got rejected and others report she turned down the show for family reasons. However, she finally made her way onto the show once Angelina left for good.

JWoww’s Impressive Degrees

Of course, on Jersey Shore we mainly saw JWoww as a party girl. However, there’s something in her background that most fans never knew. Jenni Farley or JWoww has two very impressive college degrees, both in graphic design and computer programming.

That’s right, JWoww graduated with a BFA in animation and fine arts from the New York Institute of Technology. It’s those degrees she’s used in order to start a design company, which began before Jersey Shore. Now, this star has a career with TV and public appearances and is raising two kids.

Ronnie’s Run-Ins With The Law

Of course, Ronnie’s troubles with the law happened to be filmed live on Jersey Shore. He was arrested for punching out someone during the very first season of Jersey Shore. However, this wasn’t the only time Ronnie got into trouble with the law.

Before Jersey Shore and after, he’s had other run-ins. He got a DUI and arrested for drug possession in 2005 when he was only 19 years old. Also you may remember he got arrested in 2010 for unpaid parking tickets.

Mike’s Legal Battles

After Jersey Shore, Mike “The Situation” continued to escalate his fame by appearing on other reality shows like, Dancing with the Stars. While he was enjoying the spotlight, he too got into legal trouble.

Just after Jersey Shore ended in 2014, both Mike and his brother got charged for tax fraud. Even more charges were filed against them as recently as April of 2017. If he gets convicted, Mike could be sentenced to 15 years in prison.

A Taste Of ‘Jersey Shore’

Missing Jersey Shore and has the reunion got you feeling nostalgic? Well, if you’re a die-hard fan of Jersey Shore, then good news!

You can actually visit the authentic Jersey Shore house for a private tour. Also the house is available to be rented out if you want to stay where the magic went down and get a picture with the duck phone!

Snooki Got The Show To Add Females

If you want to thank someone for all the female cast members on Jersey Shore, you can thank Nicole Polizzi, aka Snooki. Even after they changed the concept from a competition show to a lifestyle show, they still imagined Jersey Shore to have an all-male cast.

Once Snooki auditioned, the Jersey Shore producers realized they should split the cast and have both male and female cast stars. That’s when they tentatively titled the MTV show, Guidos and Guidetttes.

Cut Off From Outside

Each filming period of Jersey Shore was between a few weeks and months. During that whole time, every cast member was isolated from the outside world.

They weren’t allowed a television or even free access to their cell phones. Of course, there couldn’t even be unrestricted internet surfing. Thus, all they could do was party, drink and partake in whatever the Jersey Shore producers set up for them.

The Whole Cast Is Not Italian

A major feature of the show was the focus on the stars’ Italian-American backgrounds. However, not every one of the stars was actually Italian. In fact, two of the big stars just simply connect to the culture of ‘being Italian’ and the Guido/Guidette lifestyle.

Both Snooki and JWoww are not biologically Italian. Snooki is Chilean, but was adopted by an Italian family. However, JWoww, although she’s from Spanish and Irish ancestry, she claims she feels connected to the community despite no genetic history.

Special Clause

Naturally, Jersey Shore producers wanted the cast members to hook up and create romantic tensions as much as possible. A lot of Jersey Shore‘s hookup culture involved drunken escapades.

Thus, MTV had a special clause within the Jersey Shore contracts that made the cast members aware that MTV bore no responsibility for contraction of STDs while filming. Therefore, MTV could not be sued or blamed for anything associated with transmitted diseases.

Intense Rules

So as we mentioned, MTV and the Jersey Shore producers set up some pretty strict rules for cast members. Since everything was to happen on camera and be filmed, they tried to create a strict environment to produce the best reality TV. One rule was that cast members could not communicate off-camera.

In order to enforce this, the Jersey Shore producers did not allow the stars to write notes to each other. Wow, that’s intense!

Co-Creator Explains Culture Concept

When asked if she specifically wanted a show about Italian-Americans in Seaside Heights, co-creator SallyAnn Salsano said no and explained her intentions. She said, “When you go to Seaside Heights, there’s a certain culture that goes along with it. Our cast is not 100 percent Italian.

It’s just a mindset and a lifestyle that I was focusing on, not an ethnicity…it’s more about a lifestyle and an attitude that I found relatable — and one that I personally lived in and participated in proudly.”

Giving Proper Notice

During a 2012 interview, Snooki spoke about the difficulties of filming Jersey Shore. She even blamed some of her more inappropriate behaviors on the environment. Snooki said, “You can’t leave without a film crew with you. If you want to leave, you have to tell them an hour before so they can get ready.

There are no cell phones, no TV, and you can’t read. You can’t write or pass notes…It’s kind of like being in jail for two months—and people wonder why all we do is drink! It’s because there’s nothing else to do! It passes the time and makes it fun. If you’re sober the whole time, you will go insane and kill yourself.”

Keeping A Watchful Eye

In addition to being filmed all the time, the Jersey Shore cast had a special roommate watching everything. Executive producer Salsano lived in the upstairs apartment of the house.

There, she watched the cast on a 14 camera-feed that was set up in her living room. Oh and let’s not forget the other in her bedroom. Basically, her job was to watch the cast 24/7. Creepy!

Major Raise

Initially, NY Daily News reported that the cast was paid around a few hundred each episode. That was during the first season, but by the second season of Jersey Shore, they made $10,000 each episode.

Allegedly by the final season, the stars made over $100,000. Perez Hilton claimed that Pauly D, Mike The Situation and Snooki made the most, which he says was $150,000 every episode.

Outside Income

Once Jersey Shore took off, it was far from the only source of income for the cast. When Jersey Shore was at its height, the cast could earn up to $50,000 for personal appearances.

Often, SallyAnn Salsano warned the stars not to blow all their money. She cautioned that fame wouldn’t last forever, and they needed to spend wisely.

Filming Became A Challenge

Besides money concerns, the cast and crew had to worry about fans once Jersey Shore became extremely popular. They chose Seaside Heights since it was the only New Jersey city that would permit MTV to film. However, once Jersey Shore was big, filming in public became a huge obstacle.

Wherever the Jersey Shore stars went, a huge crowd would form. Thus, they hired a security team for when the cast went out, in order to keep the crowd of fans away.

Managing The Crowds

It wasn’t just walking around outside that became a problem. In fact, the police needed to barricade the house to prevent crazy fans from attempting to enter. So, paparazzi and fans ended up waiting outside for hours on end, trying to see the stars. Also, when the Jersey Shore crew worked at the famous t-shirt shop, fans waited in line for hours to get inside.

However, MTV producers only allowed a limited number of customers into the shop at a time. Each person who entered was told to act natural and unaware that they were buying shirts from a celebrity.

Choosing The Cast

When Jersey Shore producers were looking for cast members for the show, they looked all over the tri-state area in order to find the right group.

Eventually, they were able to narrow it down to just 12 people. From there, they selected only 8. However, they were only able to narrow it down to the 8 the day before they began filming. Wow, what timing!

Snooki’s Audition

One casting director recalled that when Snooki auditioned, she had so much bronzer on that “when she filled out the release, it was covered in orange fingerprints.”

Sounds like Snooki! After her audition, she was immediately a favorite among the Jersey Shore casting crew. It was her dominant personality that changed the direction of the show and got them to have both males and females on the show.

Incident In Italy

Remember when Snooki got into that accident in Italy with the police car? Well, the funny thing is that police car was hired as her security escort.

Yeah, Snooki accidentally hit the car there for her personal safety. Whoops. Even though the officers went to the hospital, they were okay, but Snooki lost her international driver’s license.

A Little Donation Never Hurt Nobody

Speaking of Jersey Shore in Italy…the mayor of Florence was not so excited to have MTV film in any of the city’s museums.

However, his tone changed a bit after MTV made a generous donation to a Florentine cultural fund. Oh and that house that the Jersey Shore crew stayed at in Florence…it used to be a bank! MTV producers converted the former bank into a lavish apartment.

Secret Negotiations

Apparently, MTV made the decision for another season while the cast was filming Jersey Shore in Italy. No big deal right? Well, actually, the cast did not know any of this was going on. The network negotiated for the next season with the stars’ lawyers and agents, but without telling the stars.

Jersey Shore producers feared if they informed the cast, they might act out in rebellion. Since the cast was in their Florence home without access to anything going on outside their filming, it was fairly easy to do this. In fact, the cast members only were told about the 5th season moments before MTV sent out their press release announcing it.

Excessive Drinking Was Encouraged

When Snooki spoke with V Magazine about her time on Jersey Shore, she revealed a lot fans never knew. One signature of Jersey Shore became all the crazy drinking. Most viewers felt like this was all the cast ever did.

In her interview Snooki explained that drinking was one of the few things that the producers actually allowed. Thus, she emphasized, that between being bored and drinking, it was obvious they would all indulge in alcohol.

Misleading Roof

Besides the famous duck phone, fans also grew accustomed to seeing that rooftop jacuzzi. Lots of exciting things took place up there! Most people just assumed that they lucked out and had that sweet set up on their roof.

Well, things are not always as they appear. Apparently, that jacuzzi is actually on the roof of the t-shirt shop next door. So all those times they were up on the roof, they were actually next-door to the famous house.

MTV Rented Out The Pizza Place

When Jersey Shore went to Italy, the gang got to work in a pizza shop. Maybe some wishful fans believed they got the jobs the old-fashioned way by applying, interviewing and getting hired. Actually, that’s far from the truth. According to The Daily Beast, MTV paid to rent that pizza place where the cast worked.

Someone from MTV was quoted, saying, “In a country like this, you need to take care of certain details ahead of time, but the cast does exactly what they want to do and there is nothing we can to do to stop them, nor would we want to.” That’s fair.

Huge Amount Of Cameras

We know we mentioned the lack of privacy, but seriously, try to wrap your heads around this…Apparently, Jersey Shore kept 28 cameras around to film Jersey Shore.

Wow, that’s a lot of cameras filming their every move. 28! No wonder reality stars start to feel the pressure.

They Had To Build A Wall

Something needed to be done about privacy and the fans once Jersey Shore became a hit. The popularity was affecting the filming of Jersey Shore.

Well, that’s why the team had a wall built around to house so they could continue filming. That must have been interesting for the cast to get used to…living in a house with an actual wall constructed around it!

It Went Beyond TV And Books

Now, it wasn’t just books and television that weren’t allowed. The cast members on Jersey Shore also weren’t permitted to listen to any music while they filmed. Can you imagine?

Living in a house without music, television or even books? Sounds rough! Of course, they did allow some break time between filming but that still sounds pretty hard. Naturally, the network and producers hoped to force more communication with these policies and of course, some drama too.

Vinny’s Backup Plans

Before Vinny Guadagnino became the lovable Jersey Shore member everyone is obsessed with, he thought about going to law school.

Vinny is a graduate of the State University of New York at New Paltz. Many applauded his level-headed nature and even maturity. After his success with Jersey Shore, MTV offered him his very own talk show in 2013. He welcomed guests like Iggy Azalea, Lil Wayne and Mark Wahlberg on the show.

Staged Fights

Even though Jersey Shore seemed to be all about partying and dramatic fights, a lot of people suspected these fights were not real. Indeed, some of the fights were actually staged by producers.

During the season in Italy, some locals noticed Pauly D and Vinny planning their restaurant fight scene with Jersey Shore producers and camera crew. Finally, the pair decided their fight should take place under the street lamp for ideal lighting and then they started fighting. After the crew yelled cut, they stopped and walked away together.

Snooki’s Growing Fame

Listen, it’s not just Jersey Shore that Snooki is now famous for! This former Jersey Shore star is also a published author. Nicole has written five books including, A Shore Thing, Confessions of a Guidette, Gorilla Beach, Baby Bumps: From Party Girl to Proud Mama and Strong is the New Sexy.

In addition, she’s opened a clothing shop, hosts a podcast and has her own Etsy craft boutique. Also, Rutgers University paid her a whopping $32,000 for speaking to the students. One piece of advice she said was, “Study hard, but party harder.”

Family Reunion

Jersey Shore returned after years with Jersey Shore Family Vacation on April 5th, 2018. Although everyone is overjoyed that the crew is back, there is one person missing from Jersey Shore Family Vacation: Sammi Sweetheart.

On her Instagram, Sammi said, “I have chosen not to join the show this season because I am at a completely different place in my life right now focusing on my businesses and relationship. I am not the same person as I was when I was 22. At 31, I am currently extremely happy in every aspect of my life and want to avoid potentially TOXIC SITUATIONS. However, it was a difficult decision as I love my roomies…”

International Spin-Offs

Although Jersey Shore ended after six seasons, MTV attempted to make spin-off shows to continue to profit off the success.

A lot of these shows ended up failing, but some did reach success. One such show has been the UK version called Geordie Shore. The show revolves around a cast located in Tyneside, which happens to sound very similar to New Jersey. Actually, Geordie Shore has run for 16 seasons!