Ronnie Ortiz-Magro already said he was going to seek professional help following his arrest on “suspicion of intimate partner violence” on April 22. But now he’s actually leaving MTV’s Jersey Shore: Family Vacation to really put in the work needed. The 35-year-old shared the news via a Thurs. May 13 Instagram story where he told fans, “After talking to the team at MTV, we have mutually agreed that I will step away from the show while I seek medical treatment for mental health issues that I’ve ignored for far too long.”
He continued, “My number one goal now is facing my issues head on. This process will be difficult, but my number one priority is to get healthy and be the best man and the best father I can for my daughter.” Ronnie has a three-year-old daughter Ariana Sky Magro with his ex, Jen Harley. HollywoodLife.com has reached out to MTV for comment on Ronnie’s departure to seek treatment.
Ronnie was arrested in Los Angeles on a domestic violence charge at 11:50 a.m. PT on April 22, which the Los Angeles Police Department’s public information officer confirmed with HollywoodLife. It came as he was still on probation, stemming from his arrest over an October 2019 incident that allegedly involved a physical altercation with Jen, before chasing her out of their L.A. Airbnb rental home. Ronnie eventually pleaded not guilty to seven misdemeanors, including domestic violence. But he ended up cutting a May 2020 deal to avoid jail time, where he was placed on 36 months of probation.
Earlier on May 13, it was announced that Ronnie would not be charged in his latest domestic violence case. “We are very happy that after further investigation both the LA Country District Attorney’s office and the LA City Attorney’s office determined that criminal charges were not warranted against Ronnie related to the incident that occurred in April,” Ronnie’s attorneys, Scott E. Leemon and Leonard Levine said in a statement, obtained by Hollywoodife. It added, “As we previously stated, there was a rush to judgement by the media. We will review the alleged violation of probation claim and deal with it accordingly.”
On the day his DV charge was dropped, his attorneys revealed to us in a statement that Ronnie was seeking psychological help. “He is currently seeking medical treatment for psychological issues that he has ignored for a long time. His only present goal is to address these issues professionally and make himself [a] better person and the best father he can be to his loving daughter.” Even though Ronnie made that step, he did not say he would be leaving Jersey Shore while working on his mental health. Now he’s made it clear that both he and the network agree that treatment has to be his number one priority now, and he needs to take time away from Jersey Shore to focus on self-improvement.