Original ‘Jersey Shore’ Cast Member Returns After Surprise Exit

Jersey Shore Family Vacation is bringing back the party as Season 4’s second half premieres Thursday, June 3, and the fam is kicking things off on an extra exciting note with Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi making her grand return! Polizzi may have sat the first half of this season out after announcing in 2019 she was exiting the MTV show, but the original Shore member is back and ready to rage in a new trailer first published by Entertainment Weekly, popping out of a giant cake before eventually falling off a stage.

Season 4 of the hit reality show kicked off last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with main cast members Vinny Guadagnino, DJ Pauly D, Deena Cortese, Jenni “JWoww” Farley, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino and Angelina Pivarnick all quarantining together in an empty Las Vegas hotel with their loved ones. In the new episodes, the crew is all heading to a hotel in the Poconos, and it’s going to be quite an eventful stay.

From Farley’s engagement to Zack Clayton and Lauren Sorrentino’s first pregnancy milestones, there are sure to be plenty of heartfelt moments in the filming bubble, as well as some craziness in what looks like Guadagnino taking on Clayton in the wrestling ring and a questionable talent show. There’s sure to be some confrontation between Pivarnick and Polizzi upon the latter’s return after the two got into it over last season’s wedding drama.

After a speech from Polizzi, Farley and Cortese at Pivarnick’s reception didn’t exactly go over well, the How Far is Tattoo Far? host announced in December 2019 that she was stepping back from Jersey Shore to spend time with her husband and three kids. “It’s definitely a hard decision,” the reality star said on It’s Happening With Snooki and Joey. “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. I am retiring from Jersey Shore.”

While there were “a lot of reasons why,” Polizzi said she just felt like she couldn’t film anymore. “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,” she said at the time. “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.” Jersey Shore Family Vacation returns Thursday, June 3 at 8 p.m. ET on MTV.