Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi Says Her Kids Received Death Threats Over ‘Jersey Shore’ Drama

Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi announced this week that she is retiring from Jersey Shore, sharing her decision on her podcast, It’s Happening With Snooki & Joey.

“So here comes my breaking news, you guys,” she said. “There’s reasons why I’ve come to this decision…it’s definitely a hard decision…I’m gonna throw up. OK, you guys, I love you so much and don’t hate me for my decision, but I have to do what’s best for me at the moment, and I am retiring from Jersey Shore.”

Polizzi, who shares sons Lorenzo, 7, and Angelo, 6 months, and daughter, Giovanna, 5, with husband Jionni LaValle, added that one of the reasons she wants to leave the show is because of intense reactions from fans over drama on the show that included threats to herself and her children.

“I just need to do what’s best for me right now and right now I’m just not comfortable filming that show anymore with the direction it’s going and all the drama, and getting death threats and getting death threats to my children … over this freakin’ reality show that’s not even that serious,” she said. “And people take it too seriously to where I’m getting death threats with my kids.”

“If I’m doing a reality show, I want it to be fun and I want it to be light-hearted and lately it’s not that,” Polizzi continued. “The show is getting so dramatic. I can’t be part of something like that, especially when I’m leaving my kids and I’m hurting. I just need to do what’s best for me right now.”

Jersey Shore premiered on MTV in 2009 and introduced the world to Polizzi and her castmates, who included Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, Jenni “JWoww” Farley, Vinny Guadanigno, Paul “Pauly D” Delvecchio, Angelina Pivarnick, Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola and Ronnie Ortiz Magro. Deena Cortese later joined the show, which ran for six seasons through 2012.

In 2018, a number of the cast returned for Jersey Shore Family Vacation, which finished airing its third season in November.

Polizzi explained on her podcast that the show was originally intended to be a lighthearted and fun experience but that things have gotten more “serious.”

“Our show, Jersey Shore, is about family and making fun of each other and having a good time and laughing and just knowing that it’s all in good fun. Lately, everything is so serious,” she admitted.

“It’s not about a team anymore. Fans are against one another when it comes to a cast member,” she continued. “I don’t want that. I’m not leaving my kids for days on end to film this show when that’s the result of it. I don’t like the turnout of it. I don’t like the person I’m portrayed as. It’s getting to be a little too much.”

The reality star added that her family was another major factor in her decision.

“I am not coming back to Jersey Shore for Season 4 if there is one. And there’s a lot of reasons why, but the main reason is… I just can’t do it anymore,” she shared. “Literally, leaving my kids to film it is really hard on me. I try and quit every single day. I just hate being away from the kids. I don’t like partying three days in a row. It’s just not my life anymore. I want to be home with the kid. It’s just really hard for me to leave the kids and film the show.”

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