'Jersey Shore' Star Ronnie Ortiz-Magro Says Daughter 'Saved' Him After Rehab Stint

Jersey Shore star Ronnie Ortiz-Magro recently opened up and said that his daughter "saved" him after his rehab stint.

Speaking to Us Weekly, the reality TV star spoke candidly about what he experienced and how his 10-month-old daughter Ariana Sky got him through it.

"If I'm not taking care of myself, I can't take care of my daughter. I can't take care of my family. That's something that I've always thrived off of," the 33-year old told Us Weekly exclusively. "That little girl is like my guardian angel. I say to this day, she saved my life. I think, without her, I don't think I would've taken this step, because what would I have to lose?"

"I'm a father. I'm a role model. I have to remember that. She's getting older. She's not getting younger. She's getting older, and she's getting smarter and smarter," Ortiz-Magro went on to say, later explaining that he will be honest with her about his time in rehab when she gets older.

"I feel like it's something that she needs to know. I'm going to be very open with her when she grows up. I want us to have that friendship," he admitted. "I want her to be able to come talk to me. Also a reason why I did this [was] because I want to be able to listen to people and be able to not react. I want her to be like, 'OK, well I can talk to my father about this. I can tell him this without him getting crazy like most dads do.' I pray that we do have that bond when she gets older."

In another recent interview with Us Weekly, Ortiz-Magro discussed why he chose to go to rehab in the first place.

"I decided to go to treatment because I wanted to be a better person, a better father for my daughter," he confessed. "Eventually, all the bad decisions I was making were going to lead me to places that I didn't want to be. I wanted to be led to the place that I am now – that's happy, healthy and the best role model for my daughter."

In addition to speaking about Ariana in his new interview, Ortiz-Magro also offered a brief update on his relationship with her mother, Jen Harley. The former couple has had a volatile relationship, and are currently raising their daughter separately.

"She's always going to be the mother of my child, at the end of the day," Ortiz-Magro said of their current status. "All I can do is control myself. I can't control her."