Mike Sorrentino has gone through quite the rollercoaster, both on Jersey Shore and in his personal life. He was at one point considered the most unpopular cast member, fans can clearly say that has all changed in the recent seasons, he is a new man committed to a positive way of life – that was especially true when his back was against the wall, heading to prison. He nonetheless managed to stay positive;
"If you choose positivity against adversity, that's sort of like your weapon, you know what I'm saying?" he explained. "And if you're facing depression or anxiety or certain things in life, you have a choice. Do I rise above, or do I get swallowed up by circumstance? And I chose to sort of fight this thing. I chose to be accountable. I chose to hold my head high and handle this whole situation from start to finish with grace and class. And I'm very, very proud of myself, my family and my friends for supporting me."
He mended several fences in his personal life and one of them includes his current relationship alongside wife Lauren Pesce. The two dated back in their college days, though ultimately, they decided to go their own ways for a while. We’ll discuss what went wrong with the two years ago, and how they found each other again.
They Met In College And Dated Four Years
The two met way back in college and it wasn’t a short-term fling or relationship. Both revealed that it was a lengthy one, lasting four years. Along the way, Mike dated others, especially during his time on Jersey Shore. Who can forget his time alongside Paula, a cast member that many assumed was, "the one,” over the course of the show.
It wasn’t meant to be between the two and according to Paula’s recent words via IG, she’s over those days;
“It’s been almost 10 years and the relevancy of that show is non-existent [for me] these days. I appreciate the love, living my best life with more blessings than I can count,” Paula wrote on June 16.
We can safely say that the same holds true for Mike, he’s happier than ever these days alongside his college sweetheart. However, fans want to know, what went wrong between the two initally?
They Took A Break When Mike Joined Jersey Shore
According to both sides, it was time for a break once Mike joined the Jersey Shore cast – looking back, it was impossible for anyone to maintain a sane relationship outside of the house.
Despite the separation, Lauren revealed that the two never lost touch, given that they lived close by;
“Even though we were on such a long break — like, years — once we reconnected, it was full steam ahead,” she explained. “He never moved out of New Jersey … but I never ran into him. I had friends and family and people that would always run into him. In, like, five or six years, however long that break was, I never ran into him. It was kind of like fate.”
They fully reconnected in 2013, as Mike kept showing up to a kickboxing class, he was well aware that his former love was part of the course – according to Lauren’s words with US Magazine;
“One night in spring of 2013, I was at a kickboxing gym and he knew I was going there because I kept seeing his family there,” she recalled. “He knew what class I took every night and then he showed up. We connected and that was just it.”
She Always Stood By Him During The Hard Times
The quote “ride or die,” is an understatement for Lauren and her impact on Mike’s life. She stuck by the Shore star, especially during the hard times, like Mike’s jail sentence. She was a rock in the relationship and The Situation is well aware;
"When I got picked up from prison, my main concern was sort of holding my composure for my wife and family. I knew the cameras were going to be there, I knew MTV was picking me up [and] as a man growing up, I was taught to sort of be strong and not cry," Mike detailed on getting emotional reliving these scenes. "When you watch something like that back again, you realize how sort of painful it was and how emotional it was and how proud you are that you got through that situation, held your head high and handled the whole situation with grace and class."
We hope to see more of the happy couple on the next Jersey Shore season.
Sources – In Touch Weekly, Too Fab, US Magazine & E Online