Why Sammi ‘Sweetheart’ Giancola Isn’t Doing the ‘Jersey Shore’ Reunion

Though fans were ecstatic about last night’s announcement of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, the news has one unfortunate caveat. Though most of the original cast will reunite for the special, Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola is going to sit this one out.

Giancola is avoiding the special so she won’t have to be around her ex-boyfriend, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro. Us Weekly reports that the entire cast was invited for next year’s reunion special, but Giancola declined, and Magro is the main reason. Beyond that, Giancola is reportedly enjoying her off-screen life, and doesn’t want to interrupt it for more reality TV.

Giancola has earned some privacy, after putting her rocky relationship with Magro on display from 2009 to 2012. The couple had a compelling on-again-off-again rapport, and many fans still yearn for them to get back together, despite Giancola’s current boyfriend, Christian Biscardi, and Magro’s recent admission that he’s in a committed relationship as well.

Giancola and Magro ended their romance for good in 2014, and it seems they’re not going back — though the memory is still painful enough to keep Giancola away from Family Vacation.

The Jersey Shore special was announced during last night’s premier of Floribama Shore, a spin-off of the original series which tries to capture the same magic, but on the gulf coast.

Fans were dubious of the new locale at first, and the cast of Floribama Shore needed to differentiate their show from its predecessor. If the southeast party scene didn’t draw Jersey Shore die-hards in for the new program, maybe last night’s announcement will.

Jersey Shore: Family Vacation is set to debut in 2018, with a more specific date somewhere down the line. Floribama Shore sits in the 10 p.m. slot on Mondays on MTV.