The rumor has turned into an exciting reality.
On Friday, MTV confirmed that Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola will return to the franchise that made her famous, more than 10 years after her departure from Jersey Shore.
“He’s still the sweetest dog you’ll ever meet,” the official series account wrote on March 11 along with a camera emoji.
“@sammisweetheart #JSFamilyVacation.”
A day later?
“Okay, I can finally say it… I’m back!” 35-year-old herself captioned the Instagram selfie post … while tagging the official Jersey Shore Instagram account.
Sammi was part of the original incarnation of Jersey Shore on MTV from 2009 to 2012, but she opted out of the sequel series, which premiered in 2018.
At the time, she took to Instagram to say that she was enjoying life without cameras and wanted to “avoid potentially toxic situations.”
She was mostly known in her small screen heyday for being involved in a roller coaster romance with her co-star Ronnie.
According to one of Sammi’s players last year, many of her teammates worked hard to bring her back to the program she loved.
“We tried to get him back like two years ago, we were all texting, ‘Let’s have dinner. Why not?'” Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi told E! News in September 2022.
“And he was just like, ‘No, I’m not doing that show anymore.’
“We don’t want to push it.”
“I chose not to be on the show this season because I’m in a very different place in my life right now focusing on my business and relationships,” the New Jersey native wrote via Instagram in March 2018.
“I’m not the same person I was when I was 22.
“At 31, I am now very happy in every aspect of my life and want to avoid potentially TOXIC SITUATIONS.”
Sammi didn’t specifically refer to Ronnie at the time, but most observers assumed she was referring to a challenging relationship through this message.
“It’s been 10 years,” Snooki added in September when asked about the trauma of Ronnie’s behavior on Sammi.
“At some point, you both moved on. Just came to have fun. Back to the show that was our life. I mean, we’re still doing it.
What made Sammi come and seem to see things from this point?
We can’t say now.
She has previously stated that she enjoys a drama-free life away from the limelight.
“Now I’m very happy in every aspect of my life and want to avoid potentially toxic situations,” she wrote on Instagram in March 2018.
“It was a difficult decision because I like my room. I have decided to focus on me, the future and what really makes me happy.
Jersey Shore: Family Vacation airs Friday nights at 8/7c on MTV.