'Jersey Shore' Star Mike Sorrentino Reflects On Dark Past While Celebrating 10 Years Of Sobriety

"Jersey Shore" star Mike Sorrentino, also known as "The Situation," is celebrating a milestone anniversary this holiday season. On Instagram, the MTV reality star announced that he had reached 10 years of sobriety after previously struggling with substance abuse. In a lengthy Instagram post, Sorrentino, 43, reflected on the moment he decided to turn his life around.

"Ten years ago, I made a decision that changed everything," Sorrentino captioned a post on his recovery organization's Instagram page. "A decision to stop running, stop numbing, and finally face my life head-on. It wasn’t easy."

As he continued, Sorrentino recalled experiencing moments when he didn't think he was strong enough to continue fighting for his sobriety. "But one day at a time, I chose recovery, and those days added up," he wrote.

According to Sorrentino, being sober has given the veteran reality star a renewed sense of purpose. "Sobriety gave me my life back. It gave me clarity, purpose, faith, family, and a mission bigger than myself," he added. "It gave me the ability to turn my darkest chapters into a platform of hope for others who are still struggling."

In his post, Sorrentino expressed his gratitude for those who've stood by his side during some of the most challenging times of his life.

"Today, I celebrate this milestone with gratitude, for my support system, my wife and family, my team, and everyone who believed in me when I couldn’t believe in myself," he said. "And I celebrate it by continuing the work, founding the Archangel Centers, and helping others see that recovery is possible and worth fighting for."

Sorrentino's journey with substance abuse has been well documented, and the father of three has spoken openly about his struggles on previous episodes of "Jersey Shore."

In an earlier interview, Sorrentino opened up about the staggering six-figure total he spent on his "reckless" drug addiction.

"I did spend about half a million dollars on cocaine and oxycodone," he said. "I was wild. I was careless. I was reckless, and I fell prey to drug addiction."

Sorrentino admitted that during that time, he was "into everything," adding that he used to keep drugs "on me at all times in my Louis Vuitton bag. Everything."

At another point, Sorrentino shared that he used to have Xanax and Valium while traveling through airports, and other substances, including marijuana and cocaine, when he wasn't.

"My life was going by so quickly that, at the time, I made a mistake and I thought it was going to help my performance or my stamina, and for a little bit, I have to say, that it did," he said.

However, Sorrentino found himself "dependent ... and addicted on these substances," which led to him attempting to hide his problem from the cast and crew of "Jersey Shore."

Today, however, the outspoken TV personality is thriving, sharing an image of himself celebrating his milestone achievement with a confetti cake alongside his family.

"I'm 10 years clean & sober today & yes we celebrate with funfetti cake," he captioned the flick. "The comeback is always greater than the setback."

According to an earlier report from The Blast, Sorrentino opened up about another challenge of his this year: getting his abs back.

The media personality, known for his chiseled physique, lost 30 pounds in 2025 and, to reach his goal, had to say goodbye to some of his favorite dishes, including chicken cutlets and pasta.

"I probably haven’t been this weight since 19 or 20 years old. I’m also realizing that maybe a lot of genetics have to do with it because as soon as I lost the weight, the abs are just there," he said. "I’m like, ‘Oh my God, God decided to give me back my abs.'"

In addition to staying in the gym year-round, Sorrentino's new normal included a strict diet of only clean foods, such as eggs, oatmeal, grilled chicken, steak, fish, and sweet potato.

"Abs are made in the kitchen. I never cheated on my diet, but I’m going to start to implement that cheat day because I’m down to 180 now," he said.

Sorrentino's physical transformation was met with some skepticism, however, as he said the "Jersey Shore" production crew questioned whether he could achieve his lofty goals.

"Because I’m not a spring chicken. I’m not in my 20s anymore … but as the weeks started to go by, I started to see the weight come off," he said. "I started telling production at MTV, ‘I think I’m going to get The Situation back. I’m putting in the work, I’m starting to look good.’ And they were like, ‘Yeah, okay.'"