Reality Check Making the Best of the Situation
Photos by Abbie Guerrero, food blogger and creator of Savvy with Abbie. All photos original.
Imagine being on the most popular reality TV show in 2009. Overnight, your life took an opposite turn. You went from waiting tables to girls all around. Money all around. Fame all around. How would you react? How would you feel? What if I told you that you were in your 20's when this happened? Would that change things? Would you be able to handle it or would you succumb to the pressure, expectations and temptation?
I have been following Jersey Shore ever since it aired - 2009. I fell in love with the castmates, their lives, their adventures, and their silly antics. I liked different qualities in each of them. Mike "The Situation" was no different. But his story was not what I expected. The glamorous life I saw on TV was nothing like the real world for Mike.
When I was in my 20's watching Jersey Shore, I saw it as just another reality show - not realizing there was so much behind the scenes that I had no idea existed.
I recently found out that he wrote a book on his life before, during, and after Jersey Shore. I enjoy reading real life stories - especially ones that share the raw, unfiltered version of life. In Mike's case, that consisted of addiction, prison time, and loss of loved ones.
I didn't realize how much this book would suck me in - most of the book is underlined and some days I would reach chapters at a time. His content, for me, was not only relatable, but heartbreaking, and I felt like I experienced the roller coaster with him.
When I was in my teens, I wanted nothing more than to be a famous celebrity - most likely singer - as I enjoyed my karaoke machine downstairs in my basement. I wasn't a good singer, but there was something so glamorous about being famous. Now, at age 40, I could never be famous. Hearing the stories of sadness, loneliness, pain, and pressure of being a celebrity is incredibly daunting.
If you want to read more about Mike, his claim to fame, downfall, and how he overcame addiction, you will want to keep reading.
Author: Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino
Genre: Memoir / Autobiography
Published: 2023
Mike "The Situation"
Who is Mike? I only knew of "The Situation" from Jersey Shore, but I didn't really know Mike. This book described who Mike was, from the very beginning until now.
In high school, Mike was the class clown and popular. He was more of the black sheep of the family - his brother Marc would get straight A's, Frank did no wrong, and his sister seemed to be the princess of the family being the only girl. Mike enjoyed pushing the limits and didn't like being told what to do. He was arrested for the first time as a teen after taking his first drink of alcohol.
One thing that stayed consistent throughout his life is the care that he had for his body. He worked out twice a day with a strict diet. He decided at the age of 19 to start stripping. He would also work at a gym and wait tables.
Once his parents divorced at age 19, he decided to sell drugs. That was the beginning of a spiral that took decades to come out of. The money helped him create a lavish lifestyle - nice clothes, shoes, cars, TVs. This led him to partying - he now had the money so now he could party, eat good meals, buy hotel stays, and have a lot of women surrounding him. And he decided to try some of the drugs he was dealing.
Mike had no idea that once he entered college, for a second time, he would meet the love of his life. They would have to go through years and years of hardships, stints in rehab, and Mike trying almost every drug out there it seemed, for them to finally come together and marry.
They had dated and lived together for almost 4 years when they separated and Mike went in for his first rehab stay. Although they had broken up on good terms and still talked, Lauren had moved on with her life. For a very long time actually. She had dated someone new.
After four years and six seasons of filming "Jersey Shore" - Lauren and Mike reconnected.
After Mike's first rehab stay, he decided to give modeling a try. He had a few companies reach out - and this is where he earned the title, "The Situation" - he had just signed a male modeling contract, he was walking down the street and a woman said, "Look at his abs. That's a situation!" He said, "Nah, that's not a situation; this is the situation" as he flexed his abs.
"The Situation was a sensation, a spectacle, a sight to behold"
He was optimistic as he was going through modeling call after modeling call. He saw a flyer one day that said, "Casting Call for the Hottest Guidos and Guidettes" and he decided to show up. If you don't know what a Guido is - the cast of Jersey Shore described it perfectly - GTL - Gym, Tan, Laundry. If you were fit, you were tan, showed signs of money, and loved the night life, you were most likely classified as such.
The auditions were full of the best-looking people from the Jersey area. The casting director and team chose Mike and three others to follow around with a camera over the weekend. They were curious about the Guido lifestyle and wanted to pitch it to TV stations. The crew would follow them as they went to the barbershop, the bars, basically just sharing their lifestyle.
At that point, the show was going to be called, "America's Next Top Guido" or "America's Biggest Guido" and it was initially a competition show. Mike had received a call that the show had been picked up by MTV.
"I showed up in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, in June of 2009 penniless, jobless, wearing new clothes purchased by my sister, driving a Range Rover owned by my brother." MTV was extremely strict about checking for drugs and since he was fresh out of rehab and no longer drug dealing, that wasn't an issue.
Once the season was done filming, everyone went back to normal life - without having an idea of when it would air. Finally they had a season one air date - December 3 (my birthday) 2009. Season one skyrocketed with millions of viewers. By season two, Mike was back to taking drugs - using the tanning salon that was aired in the show as his release. The owner of the tanning salon was leaving opiates under the towel in his tanning bed. Although production found out, that didn't stop him from getting his drugs for seasons to come.
Beautiful women, money, nightclub bookings, alcohol, drugs, more money, more bonuses, royalties, and finding new ways to sneak drugs past production. He was in denial about his addiction - and the fact that now, it had gotten worse.
Promoters would often give him cash just to show up at their party. Mike had so many deals - supplements, cologne, bobbleheads, a protein-infused vodka, an app, and endorsements, just from being on Jersey Shore.
One thing that Mike said was that through the unlimited cash, unlimited drugs, and unlimited access to women, he was lonely. Deep down, if you are suffering on your own, it can be a lonely road. He ran away (literally) from consequences, avoided jail time for numerous years, and during season 3 of Jersey Shore he consumed 500 pills during the summer season. He found new ways to smuggle drugs past production, get them in other countries (season 4 filming in Italy), and by this time he was very angry and aggressive.
He was so angry and high that he literally headbutted a wall. Headbutting a wall led to neck pain which led to more painkillers. He had been introduced to Lean while taking Oxys and was able to gain access to pills. Things were spiraling faster than it seemed. He broke every rule on Jersey Shore, was disrespectful to his fellow friends and castmates, and no one wanted to be around him because of the drugs. After season 5 wrapped up, he went to rehab again. He arrived at a rehab facility in Utah, but because of his celebrity status it was leaked that he was there, so he moved to a secret location and was able to detox in a cabin in the mountains.
Mike was finally in good shape. He was boxing and working out, and then tried steroids. The steroids made him angry and aggressive in season 6. He told the prescribing doctor that his energy was low and the doctor prescribed Adderall. He experienced paranoia, hallucinations, and couldn't sleep, so he was prescribed Valium. These drugs were considered "legal medicine" this time around, but that didn't make things better. This combination made him depressed, angry, and paranoid. The 6th season was the final season of Jersey Shore.
Shortly after Jersey Shore ended, Lauren's brother, Chris, passed away in a sober living house on October 13, 2013. Mike was the last one to speak to Chris.
Life After Jersey Shore
After Jersey Shore ended, there was one season of Mike's family - The Sorrentinos. Lauren moved in with Mike after her brother's passing. Unfortunately, even after Chris' death, Mike was still reckless. He detoxed (again) and then was aggressively driving his car, weaving in and out of traffic, and the government was still after him for not paying taxes. He failed pre-trial drug tests, and another one of his childhood friends, Chris, had passed from addiction. Before his passing, they ended up getting some heroin.
Mike experimented with a tiny bit of heroin to see what would happen. He was slightly high but he received a call from his mom who said she had a bad feeling that something was wrong. Lauren was knocking on the door where he was snorting this drug. He finally surrendered. He checked in to Discovery Institute in New Jersey and that's where he stayed clean to this day. This was his 4th attempt at getting clean. He had lost everything - money, cars, he had bad credit, was about to be homeless, and the government was coming after him for millions.
"I finally realized what the problem was: me."
"That day at the end of 2015 was the last time I ever used."
He did one year of treatment.
"It took years to correct so many long-standing bad habits and behaviors."
"Recovery is a lifelong pursuit."
Years into recovery, there was a Jersey Shore reboot. Of course nervous, he actually stayed sober and nicknamed himself The Designation, where he was the designated driver of his castmates.
He realized at this point in his life that he wanted to marry Lauren, all while a looming prison sentence was still over his head. Lauren and Mike got married in an over-the-top extravagant wedding in New Jersey with a honeymoon in Arizona. He then received his prison sentence - 8 months in prison, less than 2 years probation, and 500 hours of community service.
He received a lot of support in jail - everyone was nice to him. Someone had reached out to Lauren and put together a care package for Mike. They had a barbershop so he got a haircut, ate good, got a new mattress, learned a little bit of Russian, worked out, and Lauren visited 1–2 times per week. In September 2019 he was released.
Mike could finally start his life. Him and Lauren purchased a new home and had several kids. Jersey Shore: Family Vacation was now a show that was picked up and documented Mike's new life. He was making money, living the dream, and doing it all sober.
Quotes
Here are a few quotes I appreciated:
- "Getting clean from substances is like traveling a bridge that takes you back to real life. It's a long, scary, wobbly bridge filled with missteps and treachery."
- "(Rehab) isn't just about physically detoxing - you have to mentally detox too."
- "Suffering in silence while trying to hide my habit from the world was not easy. That was the reason for the trademark sunglasses I wore everywhere I went.
- "It's very difficult to control your emotions early on in recovery."
- "My family was worried about me. They saw my addiction for what it was: a one-way ticket to death."
- "When you first decide to go to treatment, there is some initial sympathy and support. When you go three or four times, that begins to disappear. What I wasn't considering was the reality that most people aren't successful in their first attempts at recovery."
- "Nothing is stronger than a broken man rebuilding himself."
Who This Book Is For
In Conclusion
I love the transparency and truthfulness of this book. It highlights the ugly side of addiction. But also the truth of it all. I love that Mike is alive to share his story. I would recommend this book. It's sad to see the internal struggles he faced, but amazing to see him overcome them. Sometimes you don't realize the strength you have until it's the only thing you got.
If you would like to read this book yourself, here is the Amazon LINK. I am an Amazon Associate and may receive a small commission for any items purchased through this link.
Author Interaction
After sharing one of my favorite quotes from the book on Instagram, Mike “The Situation” actually reshared my post to his story. It was pretty exciting to see the author acknowledge the quote and the impact his book has had on readers.
After sharing one of my favorite quotes from the book on Instagram, Mike “The Situation” actually reshared my post to his story. It was pretty exciting to see the author acknowledge the quote and the impact his book has had on readers.
A Personal Note
Reading memoirs like Reality Check reminded me how powerful personal stories can be when someone is willing to share the truth about their life.
Several years ago, I wrote a book about my own experience losing my dad and navigating grief. Writing it was both difficult and healing, and I hope it helps others who may be going through something similar.
If you’re interested in reading it, you can find it HERE. This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Reading memoirs like Reality Check reminded me how powerful personal stories can be when someone is willing to share the truth about their life.
Several years ago, I wrote a book about my own experience losing my dad and navigating grief. Writing it was both difficult and healing, and I hope it helps others who may be going through something similar.
If you’re interested in reading it, you can find it HERE. This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Like This Book Review?
If you found this review helpful, you may also like my other book reviews:
The Shining by Stephen King: A Terrifyingly Insightful Book Review
Book Review: Don’t Believe Everything You Think – A Fresh Perspective on Mental Wellness
About the Reviewer
Abbie Guerrero is the creator of Savvy with Abbie and has been blogging since 2009. She has developed over 800 original recipes and shares thoughtful book reviews and personal reflections. Writing has been a lifelong passion and a meaningful form of self-expression.
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