25 Little-Known Details About The Jersey Shore Cast They Don't Share On The Show

Gym, tan, laundry, fist bumps, a Snooki, and a whole lot of wild partying. The world had no idea what it was in for when MTV released their hit New Jersey-based reality show, Jersey Shore in 2009.

From Mike “The Situation” to DJ Pauly D, Vinny to Ronnie, Snooki to JWoww, Sammi, Angelina, and Deena, the cast of the series is what made the show a total hit among fans. Their unbreakable friendships, drama, and comedic acts carried Jersey Shore through six outrageous seasons. Their unconventional and provocative personalities and behavior caused much controversy and uproar, but people couldn't resist tuning in for what truly is the ultimate guilty pleasure television show.

With all the confrontation and suggestive acts we saw on-screen, you've got to wonder how much craziness happened off camera. The cast of Jersey Shore are real people with real problems, and not everything they did was always approved for network guidelines or in line with the story MTV wanted to show the audience.

Three years, six seasons (not counting Jersey Shore Family Vacation), 71 episodes, an immeasurable number of laughs, and now 25 little-known facts about the cast that the stars didn't ever share on the show.

25 The Cast Worked For Free During Season 1

During the six seasons with the show, the entire cast of Jersey Shore made a ton of money. By the final season, it was rumoured each cast member was making well over $100,000 an episode, according to BuzzFeed. They literally went from nobodies to huge reality television stars.

Each cast member earned themselves numerous other publicity and advertisement deals outside of MTV.

But did you know during the first season, the cast worked for next to nothing? The only money they made came from their part-time jobs at Danny's Shore Store.

24 Snooki Felt The Shore House Was Like Being In Jail

Although Snooki is one of the biggest fan favorites of Jersey Shore, she didn't always enjoy her time on the series. During an interview with V Magazine, our beloved meatball said her time in the Shore House was like being in jail.

“If you want to leave, you have to tell them an hour before, so they can get ready. There are no cell phones, no TV, and you can't read. You can't write or pass notes. You can't listen to music, you can't do anything. It's kind of like being in jail for two months.”

23 Mike Freaked Out His Cast Mates

Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino claimed he got his nickname because his abs are so “ripped up, it's called 'the situation,'” and that other men would refer to his abs as “The Situation.”

Any man who truly believes his abs earned their own name has to have other strange qualities, too.

Over time, Mike started to rub his castmates the wrong way, and many of them started to feel he was a bit creepy, according to MTV. Deena Cortese also said Mike never washed his sheets and on more than one occasion was rude and inappropriate toward Snooki.

22 The Extreme House Rules

With all the insanely strict rules the cast had to follow while living in the Shore House, it's no wonder Snooki described it as a jail. It seemed like a complete party 24/7 to fans, but behind the camera, there was a different story.

The cast only received one private phone call a week. They weren't allowed to read, watch tv, or have any real communication with the outside world. If that isn't bad enough, they were encouraged to party hard and engage in troubling behavior.

21 Snooki Was Named After A Character From A Movie

Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi was in just eighth grade when she received her lifelong nickname. Snooki was nicknamed after Vince Green's character “Snookie” in the 2001 film Save the Last Dance after she was the first of her friends to kiss a boy.

Now, at 30-years-old, the reality television star despises the nickname and wishes it never existed.

“That's a character I played, and I don't play that character anymore,” she expressed in an interview with Broadly. Instead, she just wants to be called Nicole.

20 J-Woww's Nickname Originated From Catcalls

Imagine having guys walk past you all the time exclaiming “Wow!” That was Jenni “JWoww” Farley's experience, leading her to become JWoww. A co-worker noticed the endless catcalls and started calling Jenni, “Jenni Wow.” Over time, it was shortened down to the current JWoww.

Unlike her bestie, Snooki, Jenni doesn't seem to have a hard time shaking off her nickname when needed. She still embraces her JWoww persona and is able to be recognized as Jenni at the same time.

19 Snooki Had A Separate House During Season 6

During the start of the sixth season of Jersey Shore, Snooki was six months pregnant. Instead of completely missing out on the season, Snooki opted to live in a separate house from her roommates.

This change of events completely threw off the feel of family among the cast members, but it was something Snooki needed to do as motherhood was weighing heavy on her.

"I was like, 'Listen, I'm pregnant. I don't want to be in that house, it's [dirty]. Everyone's gonna be drinking.' I've always wanted to be a mom, and I wanted to go about it in the safest, healthiest way," expressed Snooki to Vulture.

18 Deena Cortese Auditioned For Season 1

It's hard to imagine Jersey Shore without the meatball duo of Snooki and Deena, but if you remember properly, Deena didn't join the Shore House until season three. However, Deena Cortese actually auditioned for season one and was rejected.

According to ScreenRant, Deena may have been denied because she and Snooki were friends outside of the show and they originally wanted all strangers in the house. But once Angelina Pivarnick left the show in season two, Snooki suggested Deena become her replacement.

17 Jenni Is A Nerd At Heart

Believe it or not, but JWoww actually prefers staying home in a pair of sweats over going out in club attire. She attended college with hopes of becoming an animator for Disney and even studied computer programming.

“I'm a low-key geek,” she admitted in an interview with Us Weekly.

If that doesn't surprise you, Jenni is also a black belt in Taekwondo and has an amazing memory. She also says, “I never forget things and I write everything down.” So, be careful what you say around her!

16 Pauly D Is A Daddy

Introducing… DJ Pauly Daddy. That's what the "D" stands for right? Okay, no, it's not. It's for his last name, DelVecchio. But news that Pauly D is a father came as quite the shock to not only his fans but to the fist-pumping DJ himself.

Pauly D ended up getting a Las Vegas waitress pregnant during a casual relationship and didn't even find out about his daughter until two months after she was born! Pauly and his baby's mother, Amanda Market, were involved in a bitter custody battle where she sought out huge amounts of child support from the Jersey Shore star.

15 Angelina Works As An EMT

Angelina “Trash Bag” Pivarnick gained herself quite a harsh reputation during her short time on Jersey Shore. The rest of the roommates had a hard time connecting and getting along with the sassy Staten Island native.

Angelina was evicted during the first season for not working in the t-shirt shop.

She then left for good in the second season after getting into heated confrontations with Snooki and Pauly D. Since her time in the shore house, Angelina has gone on to become an EMT and lives a seemingly ordinary life.

14 Ronnie Became A Celebrity Wrestler

A couple of years into Jersey Shore, Ronnie received another big break-this time into the world of wrestling. TNA's Impact! Wrestling recruited the big man directly into the ring. He didn't stay for long, though. In an interview with New York Post, Ronnie stated, “It was really a great experience. I grew up watching it and now I get to see it firsthand and experience it.” However, wrestling was not a career he desired.

Ronnie wasn't the only Jersey Shore cast member who jumped into the ring; both JWoww and Snooki had wrestling appearances, too.

13 Sammi Started Her Own Clothing Store

Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola made men everywhere fall in love with her soft features and feisty personality. We saw her involved in a tumultuous relationship with Ronnie during the six seasons of Jersey Shore. Since ending the show, Sammi seems to be one of the most well-off and sane roommates.

In 2013, Sammi launched her very own fashion line called “Sweetheart Styles.”

“Growing up, fashion and clothing were one of my favorite avenues to express myself,” she expresses on her Sammi Sweetheart website. She even turned down the opportunity to return for Jersey Shore Family Reunion, and we don't blame her.

12 Jenni Filed For Divorce From Her Husband, Roger

JWoww got married to Roger Mathews in October 2015 after a three-year engagement. Since meeting during the filming of Jersey Shore, their relationship seemed really strong. However, Jenni proved things aren't always what they seem when she filed for divorce from Roger after nearly three years of marriage and two kids.

The divorce files cite “irreconcilable differences,” and Jenni herself stated the relationship had been on the rocks for months. Those closest to the couple were not surprised by Jenni's decision, although Roger apparently vows to win her back for good.

11 Ronnie Is A New Father

If anyone can turn tough man Ronnie Ortiz-Magro into a total softie it is his baby girl, six-month-old Ariana Sky Magro.

After his daughter was born to girlfriend Jen Harley, Ronnie chose to take time away from the spotlight to be there for both his leading ladies.

“I can give her everything in the world but if I can't give her a relationship or a bond then all of this is for nothing at the end of the day,” he expressed in a moving interview with People.

10 Deena Is Pregnant

Snooki has babies. JWoww has babies. Pauly has a baby. Ronnie has a baby. And now, Deena is going to have a baby. I don't know about you, but I am seriously waiting for Jersey Shore: Babies. Although Deena Cortese didn't join the cast until season three, she had no trouble fitting right in with the group. Snooki and Deena's meatball antics were simply hilarious.

Deena announced in she was expecting a baby boy with her husband Chris Buckner in June 2018. The little boy is expected to make his fist-pumping entrance in December 2018.

9 Snooki Went To School To Be A Vet Tech

Snooki may have been all hairspray, fake tan, and big eyelashes during her time on Jersey Shore, but she once had dreams of becoming a veterinary technician. After graduating from high school, Nicole attended a Brookdale Community College for her degree.

“I realized I loved animals more than people,” Snooki tweeted on why she wanted to become a vet tech.

To this day, the leopard print-loving entrepreneur maintains her veterinarian knowledge. In an interview with GQ, she admitted she still knows how to carry out surgery and give an animal anesthesia.

8 Vinny Was Almost A Lawyer

Vinny auditioned for Jersey Shore as a joke; he never expected to become one of the show's favorites. Before the show premiered, Vinny's life was on a whole different path-he was studying to become a lawyer. In an interview with US Weekly, Vinny admitted that the very day the show launched, he was taking his LSAT to become a lawyer.

Once the show became a huge hit, Vinny put his law dreams on hold. He still holds onto the opportunity to pursue law again, but for now, he'd rather stick to what he's doing.

7 Mike Has Lots Of Feuds With His Family

The Situation is known for his fiery temper almost as much as Ronnie is. When Mike gets heated, there really is now turning him down. Those closest to the “ab-tastic” reality star are usually the ones directly in the line of fire when his rage is roaring.

And Mike doesn't have the greatest relationship with his family, either.

In 2011, Mike's father, Frank Sorrentino, released an explosive video full of bad language where he completely trashed Mike and his behavior. And in a 2014 incident at his New Jersey tanning salon, Mike got into a brawl with his brother Frank before the police were called and Mike was taken into custody.

6 Ronnie Was Bullied As A Kid

Ronnie Ortiz-Magro seems so rough and tough in his adult age, but when he was a kid, the buff shore boy was bullied. When he was younger, Ronnie claims he was actually kind of a little guy and the victim of bullying.

“Everyone was always bigger than me, and being a lot smaller, I got picked on a lot by the guys in the grades above me,” Ronnie shared in an interview with In Touch Weekly. “My parents always taught me to walk away from a fight, but from a guy's point of view, how many times can you walk away.”

5 Snooki Wanted To Be On The Real World

Snooki literally fell into her Jersey Shore audition since she was intoxicated, but apparently, the pint-sized star always wanted to be in MTV's The Real World.

It seems she always had that reality television star itch.

“Before I was cast on MTV's Jersey Shore, I considered auditioning for The Real World,” she said to Wetpaint. “I was a huge fan, and I still am, and that made me want to be on reality TV, actually.” She even created an audition tape for The Real World.

4 The Duck Phone Wasn't Supposed To Be A Part Of The Cast

The iconic duck phone that everyone loves was never actually supposed to be in the house in the first place-it was left in the house by mistake. According to Jersey Shore's executive producer, SallyAnn Salsano to Vulture, “Our art director went out and goes, 'I saw this duck phone. It's so ridiculous.' I said, 'We cannot leave that in the house. It doesn't make sense.'

“Then the show started and I'm like, 'Oh my God, we left that duck phone in there. Now the duck phone is the national symbol of 'Jersey Shore.'”

3 Mike The Situation's Tax Evasion Charges Are Bad

If you haven't heard, The Situation was sentenced to eight months in prison for felony tax evasion. Now, that's a situation. Mike was first indicted, alongside his brother Marc, in 2014 after failing to pay taxes on his $8.9 million income between 2010 and 2012. Mike's brother was sentenced to two years in prison for the same charges.

In addition to the Sorrentino brothers' sentencing, they are both required to pay a hefty fine.

Mike must pay up $123,913 in restitution with an extra $10,00 criminal fine. Marc is charged with $7,500. Mike's roommates were heartbroken to learn of the news but stood by his side in support.

2 Mike Has Some Questionable Business Deals

Aside from his obvious questionable tax practices, Mike dealt with other suspicious business choices. After finding fame with Jersey Shore, Mike and his brothers opened several tanning salons. The one Mike ran experienced several issues.

In 2014, several employees at Mike's Boca Tanning Club filed police reports stating their paychecks bounced. The Sorrentinos had a week to pay all the employees the money owed to avoid criminal charges. This time, they abided the law. Just a year later, though, Mike was evicted from that same tanning salon for falling behind on his rent. After being sued by his landlord, The Situation agreed to pay around $32,000 in back rent, according to NJ.com, but after failing to pay the first installment, he was evicted.

1 Ronnie Has A Record

The Situation isn't the only roommate with an arrest record on file. Both Snooki and Deena were arrested for disorderly conduct during their time on the show.

Ronnie was also one to sit in the back seat of the cop car on more than one occasion.

During season one, Ronnie, unsurprisingly, was involved in a bar brawl. He was arrested after knocking a guy out in the middle of the street. Another less talked about arrest on Ronnie's record involved unpaid parking tickets. This arrest is often referred to as “the lamest Jersey Shore arrest.”