'Jersey Shore' star Sammi Sweetheart expecting first baby after IVF journey
- Sammi Giancola has shared her fertility journey on MTV's "Jersey Shore Family Vacation."
Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola has a note for fans: The next generation of "Jersey Shore" is on the way.
Giancola, 37, who has shared her IVF fertility journey on MTV's "Jersey Shore Family Vacation," said in an Instagram post on Sunday that she's expecting her first baby with fiancé Justin May.
"We've been keeping a little secret, Baby May Due August 2025," Giancola and May wrote in the joint post. "After struggling through years of infertility, this is the absolute greatest blessing we could ever possibly ask for! We are so thrilled to finally be able to share the news of our little miracle with you all! Our hearts have never been so full of love, we can't wait to meet you baby!"
Giancola and May held up ultrasound images of the baby in three panels. The post also featured a beach tableau of a teddy bear with a "Baby May" plaque alongside flowers and an ultrasound image under an umbrella in the sand.
Giancola's in vitro fertilization treatments, which included self-administered shots, were shown on the recent season of "Jersey Shore Family Vacation" but kept secret from her fellow cast members while filming.
Giancola shared news of a miscarriage following the treatments during an episode of the series that aired Nov. 21. Her engagement to May, made in front of both their families, was also shown on the episode.
"I can't believe how many people are suffering or going through similar situations and it's kind of overwhelming in a good way," said Giancola on the Jan. 16 reunion special. "It's helping me out. I'm learning some things from other people's experiences and even my experience can help other people dealing with the same things as me."
Giancola famously had an on-again, off-again relationship with cast member Ronnie Ortiz-Magro on the original run of "Jersey Shore," which aired from 2009 to 2012.
She opted out of the first "Jersey Shore Family Vacation" show reboot in 2018 as she wanted to "avoid potentially toxic situations" with Ortiz-Magro, according to one of her Instagram posts but returned in 2023 to much fanfare.
Giancola now owns the Sweetheart Coast boutique shop on the Ocean City boardwalk. May has a connection to the original run of "Jersey Shore" in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. He was a bouncer at the former Karma nightclub, where much of the original series was filmed.
Filming is underway for the upcoming season.