Sammi ‘Sweetheart’ Giancola aka “the sweetest bitch you’ll ever meet” was an OG cast member on the infamous MTV reality show Jersey Shore. When the show’s sequel Jersey Shore: Family Vacation was originally announced back in 2018, Sammi was the only original cast member not to return, because she’s “at a completely different place in my life right now.” “I am not the same person as I was when I was 22,” she explained.
But then (run the cameras!) Sammi announced she will be joining the cast once again. “Okay I can finally say… I’m backkk!” she captioned her Instagram post.
Jersey Shore dropped a trailer teasing Sammi’s sweet return, and with her ex Ronnie *also* making a comeback, this season is sure to be juicy.
Now that we’re seeing Sammi ‘Sweetheart’ on our screens for the first time since Jersey Shore ended in 2012, you may be wondering what she’s been up to now since she retired the suntan lotion and towering stiletto heels.
Back in November 2013, Sammi launched an online boutique called Sweetheart Styles, selling everything from clothing to jewelry to home decor and more.
And then in June 2015, she became a godmother! Her sister Nikki gave birth to her first daughter, Reagan Shea. (In July 2016, she welcomed a second daughter, Ryan Marie.)
In August 2016, Sammi chose to go back to college. She attended William Patterson University in Wayne, New Jersey majoring in sociology. She even played as a midfielder on their NCAA Division III women’s soccer team.
Family Vacation aired in June 2018, and since Sammi was the only OG not to return, Pauly D decided to replace her with “Sammi Doll.”
At the time, Pauly spoke to ET about the experience, saying it was all in good humor and there were no hard feelings. “I have! I have [talked to her] and she gets the joke, she knows it was all in good fun. I’m glad too ’cause I was like, ‘Shoot, I hope she doesn’t hate me.’ You know?”
In November 2018, Sammi reunited with some of the cast for Deena’s baby shower. Snooki, JWoww, and Angelina were all in attendance.
Sammi and her then-boyfriend Christian Biscardi got engaged in March 2019 after over two years of dating, but she confirmed they split in July 2021 when she posted a TikTok saying she was single but happy.
In June 2021, she opened her first storefront in Ocean City, New Jersey. “I just want to say thank you to everyone that came out yesterday for the Grand Opening of @sweetheartcoast ! I can’t thank you enough for supporting me!! It was so fun seeing and meeting you all,” she posted to her Insta.
And Sammi hard launched her new boyfriend Justin May on Thanksgiving day in 2021, posting a pic of the two of them together to her Instagram story and writing, “Thankful.”
Fast forward to 2023, and now she’s back on TV, baby!
Let the record state: Sammi is “still the sweetest bitch you’ll ever meet.”
Editorial Assistant
Bri is the editorial assistant at Seventeen covering pop culture, celebrity news, fashion, and beauty. You can probably find her sipping an oatmilk iced chai while searching for the best new makeup products or thrifting her entire wardrobe.