Unlike other reality shows in MTV's iconic lineup, there has been no group more tight-knit than the OG Jersey Shore crew. With their instant compatibility and hard-partying lifestyle, the group would always have a good time with their fair share of drama.
It may be one of the worst kept secrets in television, but some "reality" in reality shows is fabricated to keep the storyline interesting. That being said, what moments have the Jersey Shore cast and crew revealed to be fake?
Snooki's Nickname Origin
While the entire cast did garner a significant fan base through the show's success, it can be argued that Nicole "Snooki" LaValle was the breakout star of the group. She currently hosts MTV's "Messyness" along with Tori Spelling, Adam Rippon, and the late Teddy Ray. "Snooki" may have become a household name, but contrary to popular belief, she did not go by that nickname before the show.
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LaValle has admitted since the show's success that "Snooki" was never actually her real nickname. She revealed to Vulture that she never even had a nickname back home, but when the Jersey Shore application asked for a nickname, her friend suggested "Snooki" as a joke, and LaValle wrote it down. The nickname helped land her spot on the show, so the name stuck.
The Shore Store
During the show's first season, the Jersey Shore cast was not paid by the producers. The producers wanted to capture the lives of young adults spending the summer at the shore, but they were able to work at the Shore Store to make their money while they were living in the store owner, Danny Merk's house. While it is a fact that they worked at the store for their paychecks, it wasn't a typical job.
Store owner Danny Merk revealed to Vulture that the group started out making $10 per hour and gradually moved up to $20 per hour that summer. Employees at the store often complained about the group's work ethic but said Mike "The Situation" was the "laziest person to work with," and Snooki was said not to be much better. That being said, Merk did admit that Pauly D, Jenni, and Sammi proved to be quite talented on the register.
Overnight Guests
With most of the main cast married with kids (or simply trying to settle down), there aren't many overnight guests from the club like in the group's earlier days. It was common for one of the cast members to bring home an overnight guest, though it was not without many requirements from the producers.
While it seems the overnight guests were just picked up from whatever club the group was partying at, there was a lengthy process to picking the guests. Executive Producer SallyAnn Salsano revealed to Vulture that most of the guests brought back to the house were put through a rigorous application process before being chosen, including presenting and scanning an I.D. that proves the guest is over 21 years of age.
Vinny And Pauly D's Street Fight
There have been many romantic exploits both on the show and behind the scenes of Jersey, but none more tight-knight than the bromance of Vinny and Pauly D. Aside from the main show, the two taken their natural charisma to Double Shot At Love and have proven to be one of the best duos in the show. That is until a certain Season 4 episode where the two broke out in a street fight in Italy (or so it seemed).
Upon the episode's release, a waitress working near the fight revealed to The Daily Beast that the two planned certain aspects of the fight while drinking at the bar, including moving under a street light to get the shot well-lit. It was also revealed that security kept photographers and fans away from the scene before filming began.
Snooki and JWoww Tension
Snooki and JWoww may not have gotten off on the right foot during the first few episodes, but the two grew to have one of the most organic friendships on the show. Throughout multiple seasons and spinoffs, the two have shown to have effortless banter on and off the set, making fans concerned when there was evident tension during an episode of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation.
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The tension ensues when Vinny expresses his frustration to Snooki with her simply ignoring him because of their checkered past, as Vinny is a frequent topic of discussion with Snooki and her husband. JWoww attempts to console her, leading to an argument between the two about Vinny. This was nothing more than good editing as revealed by JWoww on her Twitter, where she assured the viewers that she and Snooki are still best friends and JWoww just missed her son.
The Note Drama
Anybody on the internet when the infamous note was given to Sammi regarding Ronnie's behavior remembers how much drama was surrounding it at the time. Everything from the sloppy way the note was written to Sammi's overreaction surrounding it took the world by storm. Turns out, this infamous altercation may have had some producer meddling.
Snooki revealed to Vulture that a producer made it clear to Sammi that producers didn't write the note. Producers added to the drama by informing Sammi that the note was written by one of the roommates, a fact that upset her more than the note itself.
Vinny Didn't Really Party
There is not one person in the Jersey Shore crew with a more wholesome Italian upbringing than Vinny. Despite the show always portraying him as constantly partying and meeting girls, Vinny was pretty shy with girls before meeting his Jersey Shore and Double Shot At Love co-star, Pauly D.
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Vinny revealed to Vulture that he didn't hook up during the whole first season, saying he had only kissed a couple of girls in the house. Spending time with The Situation and Pauly D introduced Vinny to the club lifestyle, leading to the iconic dream team, MVP, and Vinny being more comfortable bringing girls home.
Most Of The Cast Isn't From Jersey
It is no longer a secret that most of the Jersey Shore cast is from New York. However, during the first season of the show, viewers were led to believe that the entire cast had Jersey roots when, in reality, only two crew members are from Jersey- Sammi and Deena.
Deena is introduced in Season 3 as a replacement for Angelina after she left the Jersey Shore house in the previous season. While Deena and Sammi don't get along initially, Deena helps Sammi get out of her shell and have fun instead of worrying about her ongoing fights with Ronnie, leading to Sammi getting along with the girls after they had all been fighting in Miami.
The Situation Wasn't Affiliated With A&F
"GTL" has been thrown around countless times within the Jersey Shore crew. The Situation always wanted to wear nice clothes, but one brand that he frequented was Abercrombie & Fitch, so much so that viewers speculated that the company sponsored him, but that was far from reality.
The clothing company knew the Situation always wore their clothes but felt their brand being associated with him would be bad for business. The company decided to go public with their issue in a press release, where they would offer the star $10,000 to stop wearing their clothes on the show.
Pauly D Didn't Start "GTL"
As mentioned previously, the boys of the Jersey Shore live by "GTL" (gym, tan, laundry). One member, in particular, was Pauly D, who even had a tanning bed in his home. The show seems that Pauly D came up with the phrase, but the producers may have had a bigger role in its inception.
SallyAnn Salsano revealed to Complex that producers attempted to map out a schedule for shooting days to work with the cast, specifically setting aside time for the gym, tanning, and laundry. Instead of writing the full words, producers wrote the acronym "GTL" on the board. Pauly D saw potential in the phrase and made it one of the most iconic quotes from the show.
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