Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi reveals filming Jersey Shore gave her ‘anxiety’

Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi led the cast of Jersey Shore on the Today show in New York City on Tuesday morning.

Also with the petite beauty were costars Mike Sorrentino, Jenni ‘JWoww’ Farley, Vinny Guadagnino and Deena Cortese as they chatted up Family Vacation.

Noticeably absent was Ronnie Ortiz-Magro who was arrested in October for domestic violence after an incident with his on again, off again baby mama Jen Harley.

The show started with Hoda Kotb calling Snooki ‘nooki’ which made everyone laugh.

Then she said she was happy to see that the Situation was out of jail.

‘It was a very uncomfortable situation, I lost 40lbs, I had time to really put in and got better not bitter,’ he said.

Deena said he was the ‘most positive person in the house.’

As far as his wife, whom he has known since his school days, he said he was better than ever and they are moving into their first home.

And he added that now that he is out of jail, it just feels like Christmas all the time.

Then it was Snooki’s time to talk. 

The brunette said she is leaving Jersey Shore because ‘it’s a lot.’ She added that so many hours are taken up with filming for the show.

And she gets ‘anxiety’ because she ‘doesn’t have a lot of help’ with the kids when she films.

Her friends said she was a ‘super mom.’

She has three kids with her husband of six years Jionni LaValle: Giovanna, Lorenzo and Angelo. 

Then Nicole said she does not want to feel guilt over her mom skills, adding Jenny is ‘strong’ and Deena is ‘loving’ as parents.

Next JWoww said she gets help for her son who has autism and she hopes his life will be normal.

‘You have to change people’s perception,’ she said.

She shares son Greyson and daughter Meilani with ex Roger Mathews. And she added that her number one priority with her ex was co-parenting.

Vinnie was next, he said he was a stripper in Las Vegas: ‘I love doing it, I love being on stage performing.’

Jenna Bush suggested he strip at Hoda’s wedding shower. Vinnie joked that he could give Hoda a lap dance right then and she got nervous before he said he was just kidding.

They were then asked to play a pop culture game. It was girl versus boys.

They were asked if iPhones existed in 2009, Jenni said no way. She was right.

The team was also asked about baby named and Kanye West.

Snooki looked every inch like Snooki as she wore a plunging leopard print dress with a slit up one tanned and toned leg.

The TV vet added a sheer beige coat and beige suede cage heels.

A beige and brown Gucci purse was worn crossbody style. She held on to a green drink and her cell phone as she walked into the studio.

The outspoken star wore her long hair with chunky beige highlights and the locks were styled with soft curls.

Her fingernails were painted light pink and she added several rings while her toes were bright red.

JWoww had on a hot pink satin belted blazer that was wore open. The color was identical to the shade of dress Marilyn Monroe wore in Gentleman Prefer Blondes.

She also had on a low-cut black dress that came above the knee and white sneakers.

Instead of a purse Farley had a black backpack over her shoulder. There was also a large tattoo of a baby’s face on her left hand. 

She had two women escorting her into the building.

Deena stood out in a royal blue dress that hugged her curves with black stockings and black over-the-knee boots as she carried a plaid coat. 

The Situation was very casual in a puffy black coat over a T-shirt with ripped jeans and green sneakers with orange laces. He also carried a grey and black Louis Vuitton backpack. 

Also seen was Guadagnino with a black baseball jacket over a black T-shirt, a gold chain and watch, grey slacks and white sneakers.

Earlier this month Snooki talked about leaving Jersey Shore when she was a guest on Ellen. 

‘There were a lot of decisions that went into that,’ she said.

‘But I basically just had to think about my kids and where I’m at in life right now and it’s just really really hard for me to leave and film the show with three kids now.’

She went on to say: ‘Mommy[ing] is my number one thing right now.’ 

Snooki took a very different tone than last December, when the star called her experience on the show a ‘nightmare.’ 

She then revealed that she and her children had been receiving death threats over some of the events that played out on the series. 

The star, who rocketed to fame when the series debuted 10 years ago, said she would rather be spending time with her children than engage in drama on her podcast, It’s Happening With Snooki and Joey. 

‘So here comes my breaking news … it’s definitely a hard decision,’ she said ‘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.

‘I am not coming back to Jersey Shore for a season four, if there is one. And there’s a lot of reasons why, but the main reason is really, I just can’t do it anymore,’ she explained. 

‘I hate being away from the kids, I don’t like partying three days in a row, it’s just not my life anymore and I wanna be home with the kids. It’s just really hard on me to leave the kids and film the show. That’s one reason.’ 

In addition to wanting to be with her family, Snooki said the drama had been taking a toll on her. 

‘Our show, Jersey Shore, is about family and about making fun of each other and having a good time and laughing, and just knowing that it’s all in good fun. And lately, it’s just like, everything is so serious, and when it comes to our show it’s not about like, team this, team that, and then fans are against one another when it comes to a cast member. That’s just not how the show works and that’s how it’s becoming,’ she explained. 

‘I don’t want that and I’m not leaving my kids days on end to film this show when that’s the result of it,’ she said. ‘I don’t like the turnout of it and I don’t like the person I’m being portrayed as and this is getting a little too much.

’32 years old with 3 kids and if I’m doing a reality show I want it to be fun and lighthearted and just lately it’s not like that and the show is getting so dramatic and drama.’ 

Snooki also elaborated on the death threats she and her children had been the target of.   

‘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.’ 

Though she will be leaving Jersey Shore, Snooki said she has a good relationship with MTV and the production team and hopes to work with them again.   

She said of her co-stars: ‘I just want my roomies to have a good time and enough with the drama, please.’

‘It’s supposed to be a happy, fun show and it’s turning into a nightmare.’ 

The show has never been in shortage of drama, but in recent days the stars have been back in the spotlight over a rift involving Angelina Pivarnick.  

Snooki, Deena, and JWoww were all bridesmaids at Angelina’s wedding, and reportedly were booed after giving an insulting speech. 

In a since-deleted post, Deena said she believed Angelina would take the speech in stride. 

‘Clearly we were wrong .. we’re friggen human ..people make mistakes,’ she posted. 

Snooki rose to fame in 2009 as the star of MTV’s Jersey Shore, which followed a group of young adults living together in a summer share.   

The cast returned to their old antics for a reboot of the series, Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, which premiered in 2018. 

Everyone except Sammi Sweetheart returned to film the reboot, which debuted season three over the summer.