The Real Reason Snooki Quit Jersey Shore

End of an era. Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi shocked fans in December 2019 when she announced she wouldn't be returning to Jersey Shore: Family Vacation. Viewers had a front-row seat to what drove the reality star to her drastic decision. In the show's Season 3 finale, Snooki, Jenni "JWoww" Farley, and Deena Cortese gave a speech at Angelina Pivarnick's wedding that didn't exactly go off without a hitch. The bride and her guests found their toast to be in poor taste, creating a divide between Angelina and the other women.

"I'm quitting, I think," Snooki told Deena in front of cameras shortly after their wedding faux pas, "I think this is it. This is not fun" (via E!). Later in a confessional interview, she added, "I just love my roomies, always. Jersey Shore is literally my life. I never would have met my best friends, so the fact that is has to end like this, for me, it really sucks."

Scroll below for more details on why our favorite meatball left the franchise.

On a December 2019 episode of her podcast, It's Happening with Snooki and Joey, the Jersey Shore veteran got into why she decided it was time to move on from the MTV reality TV show once and for all. "There's a lot of reasons why, but the main reason is really, I'm just like ... I just can't do it anymore," Snooki said, adding leaving her children was "really, really hard."

Additionally, Snooki shared that her lifestyle and priorities have changed since becoming a mom. "I hate being away from the kids, I don't like partying three days in a row, it's just not my life anymore," she said. "And I wanna be home with the kids. I don't mind a here or there going to a dinner or whatever, but it's just really hard on me to leave the kids and film the show." 

In May 2020, Snooki told People she has no regrets about leaving her fist-pumping days in the past. "I needed to move on," she admitted to the outlet. "It's just not for me anymore. Drama has never been my thing." She went on to say that the most recent "season was very stressful" and she isn't interested in leaving her family "for days on end to do that." At this point in her life, Snooki would much rather "have a good time with my friends and roomies, and then come home and be a mom." 

Despite her exit, the Shore must go on. In June 2020, Deadline confirmed the Jersey Shore reboot was picked up for a fourth season. While Snooki is done with the MTV program, she said she isn't retiring from the public eye. "I'm definitely not done with TV," she told People. "I'm just done with that show. I want to do something that's fun and entertaining. I'm actually in talks about doing other shows right now, maybe hosting some things."

We can't wait to see what Snooki does next!