Surprise! 'Jersey Shore' Star Pauly D is a Dad

Congratulations are in order for Jersey Shore star Pauly "Pauly D" DelVecchio -- the DJ is a new dad, ET can confirm.

"I am proud I'm a father. At 33 I am excited to embark on this new part of my
life," the reality TV star said in a statement.

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On his Twitter Tuesday, he retweeted articles reporting the big news. "Thank you," he responded to one tweet in particular saying that he'll "make a Great Father."

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Pauly D is the second Jersey Shore alum to become a first-time parent. Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi gave birth to her son Lorenzo on August 26, 2012.

"I'm so happy for Pauly," Snooki told E! News. "Definitely a shock to all of us but we know Pauly the best and he's going to be an amazing father. He's so loving and caring. I can't wait for Lorenzo and her to play!"

Meanwhile, her bestie Jennifer "JWoww" Farley just seemed shocked.

"Holy s**t I just heard!" she told E! News. "I'm so f**king happy for him I just texted him. Crying! He's going to be the best dad ever!"

***Update: Pauly D has sent out a second statement regarding his surprise love child.

"Sometimes in life things aren't planned and they may even scare you at first, but they end up being a blessing, that is how I feel about having a daughter, I'm looking forward to being a parent to her."