Mike Sorrentino, The Situation, as he is often called, has lived a very colorful life, and a lot of it has been in front of the camera and in the media. Sorrentino was born on the fourth of July in 1982, in New York City, borough of Staten Island, but grew up in New Jersey. He is one of the most popular reality TV stars and has made many appearances on many different shows through the years. Despite the successes of his reality show career, Sorrentino has had his share of troubles with them. He has had severe legal trouble that landed him behind bars, battled substance abuse, and has been viewed as a troublemaker, for some companies. He’s currently out of prison but on probation, and still very active in the mainstream media. If you recognize this guy, or, The Situation, then keep reading to learn 10 things you didn’t know about Mike Sorrentino.
1. He got his fame from a reality TV show
Sorrentino rose to fame after his appearances on the MTV reality show, Jersey Shore. He appeared in all six seasons that ran from December 2009-December 2012. His popularity on the show soon lead to other appearances, including, Marriage Boot Camp, Celebrity Big Brother, he’s appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, Conan, Dancing with the Stars, just to name a few. His career has taken a lot of twists and turns, taking him in many different directions, from creating a vitamin line for GNC, creating a clothing line, even making a rap song and a workout DVD.
2. He served time for tax evasion
According to People.com, Sorrentino and his brother, Marc, were a part of a tax evasion scheme together. During the years from 2010 to 2012, many of Sorrentino’s payments for things he did were paid in cash, while the rest of the $8.9 million was improperly documented in an effort to defraud the government. The two were caught and both were indicted on conspiring to evade taxes. Both were found guilty and The Situation was sentenced to 8 months in a federal prison, plus a number of other penalties, including paying restitution.
3. He battled addiction problems
Sorrentino was known as a big-time party animal during his time on Jersey Shore. he was always seen drinking and being drunk, but things took an even darker turn when by the end of his time with the show in 2012, he had already moved on to prescription painkillers. Sorrentino admits to having been addicted to drugs like, oxycodone and other opiods, and the addiction landed him in rehab multiple times. He’s been clean for several years now and says his life is better than ever.
4. His younger sister appeared on a reality TV show
Sorrentino isn’t the only member of his family to appear on reality TV. His younger sister, Melissa, appeared on the popular TLC show in 2018, Say Yes to the Dress, as one of the brides. Her brothers also appeared and played a role of helping her find the perfect wedding dress.
5. He was an assistant manager at a gym
One place you’d often find Sorrentino, was at the gym, especially in the earlier years of his fame. In any picture, it was clear the guy loved to keep in shape, and apparently, he loved his time at the gym so much, he got into the business side of it and became assistant manager of his gym. It goes without saying that weight lifting and harsh workouts can be hard on the body, and sometimes even cause injuries, which is something Sorrentino knows something about. According to Marriedwiki.com, Sorrentino cracked his ribs at the gym in 2015, but exactly how, is unclear.
6. His abs earned him his nickname
Sorrentino has been called, The Situation, for years. The nickname came about after a walk on a Jersey beach with a friend when a random girl complimented Sorrentino on his abs. The compliment wasn’t taken too well by the girl’s boyfriend, and Sorrentino’s friend couldn’t help but comment on the guy’s reaction. Sorrentino’s friend made a joke about his abs creating a problem between the couple, saying they were causing a “situation” between the girl and her boyfriend, and the name, The Situation, stuck.
7. He gave it his best shot at dancing
In 2010, Sorrentino put his best dancing foot forward on Dancing with the Stars. He was partnered with Karina Smirnoff for the eleventh season of the show, and although he thought he had done a great job in his performance during the 4th week, the judges had a different idea and he was the one to be booted off the show. Sorrentino took the judges’ criticisms personally, and he stormed off the set after the show.
8. In 2010, he ranked second highest paid reality TV personality
It’s hard to imagine anyone earning anything close to any of the Kardashians. They are a family who have enormous bank accounts, just for being ‘the Kardashians,’ and the eldest daughter, Kim, is the top earner of the family. Sorrentino came in close to Kim’s earnings in the year 2010, earning $10 million that year, making him the second highest paid reality star that year. His earnings came from multiple sources, including, endorsements with Reebok Zigtech shoes, a clothing line he started, a vitamin line he created for GNC, a workout DVD he produced, not to mention his television appearances on Jersey Shore and Dancing with the Stars.
9. A major fashion brand offered him money to “not” wearing their clothes
It’s rare that you hear stories of fashion companies paying a celebrity to ‘not’ wear their clothing line, but it happened to Sorrentino. The famous clothing line, Abercrombie & Fitch actually offered Sorrentino $10,000 to ‘not’ wear their clothes. When asked why, the company explained how they felt that Sorrentino’s association with their brand could damage their name due to his legal troubles and the bad rap he was getting in the media.
10. He married his long term girlfriend before going to jail
According to USA Today, Sorrentino decided to tie the knot with his long time girlfriend before turning himself in to serve his time. From 2004-2007, Sorrentino dated Lauren Pesce, whom he met in college. The relationship ended but the two eventually resumed their relationship and even got engaged when he proposed to her in front of the cameras on the new version of Jersey Shore; Jersey Shore: Family Vacation. The two tied the knot on November 1, 2018, just a few months before he began serving his 8 month jail sentence.
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