Sammi returns to the fold in 'Jersey Shore: Family Vacation,' airing Aug. 3 on MTV.
Getting back in front of the camera wasn't the only thing Sammi "Sweetheart" Giancola had to prepare for amid her return to MTV's Jersey Shore.
Giancola spoke to ET's Rachel Smith ahead of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation's season six midseason premiere, where she shared how she prepared to reunite with her ex, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro.
"I knew if I was gonna do the show again that he would eventually be there, or there would be a situation where Ron and O would have to work together," Giancola said. "He's a part of the family like everybody else, so I look at it more like he's a coworker and I'm working with him, and he's just some guy I dated in my 20s."
Fans of the original iteration of the hit reality series will remember the pair's on-and-off relationship and toxic spats. While they tried to make it work after Jersey Shore came to an end in 2012, they confirmed that they split for good in August 2014. Ortiz-Magro has since had a few relationships of his own, and welcomed daughter Ariana Sky, now 5, with ex Jen Harley in 2018. Giancola has moved on as well and has been dating her boyfriend, Justin May since November 2021.
As for the last time they spoke prior to the filming Family Vacation, Giancola said it was around the time of their split.
"Probably not until the show," she shared. "Maybe 2014, 2015 was the last time."
Giancola added, "It's been like 10 years, almost 10 years."
The 36-year-old TV personality said she was "living life" during her hiatus from the show, and dated multiple people following her split from Ortiz-Magro.
"I dated multiple people after. I was living life for me doing my own thing," she told ET.
She also had time to reflect on their relationship and glean a few takeaways from those days together in their early 20s.
"I learned a lot from that relationship," Giancola said before sharing exactly what their years-long love affair taught her. "I think to not waste time on the wrong people, 'cause all we have left is time. and it's like, you don't want to waste years on the wrong person, and always have self-respect."
"And always think of yourself first," she added. "If something's not doing well for you or giving you justice, you need to leave. There's always something better out there, and I wish I would've known that back then."
Ortiz-Magro is making a return to the series as well, after taking time off last season to focus on his mental health.
"Every now and then, he sends me little check-in texts," Michael "The Situation" Sorrentino told Smith. "He's doing well; he's focusing on his mental health for the past couple of years and I think that everyone is going to be able to see a little bit more from this season."
When asked about whether the season includes a reunion between her and her ex-boyfriend, Giancola played coy. "Oh, that's a wait-and-see."
Jersey Shore: Family Vacation's season six midseason premiere airs Aug. 3 on MTV.
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