Mike Sorrentino

Michael Paul Sorrentino, also known as "The Situation," is an American television personality born on July 4, 1981, in West New Brighton, Staten Island, New York. He was raised in Manalapan, New Jersey, graduating from Manalapan High School in 1999. He later earned an associate degree from Brookdale Community College and attended Kean University and Monmouth University. Prior to his television career, he worked as an assistant manager of a Staten Island fitness center, an underwear model, a fitness model, and a stripper.

Sorrentino gained widespread public attention as an original cast member on all six seasons of the MTV reality series Jersey Shore from 2009 to 2012. Following his breakthrough, he appeared on numerous broadcast programs, including guest appearances on The Howard Stern Show, The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, The Jay Leno Show, Lopez Tonight, SportsNation, Chelsea Lately, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and Conan. By 2010, his earnings topped $5 million from endorsements, appearances, a workout DVD, a vitamin line, a clothing line, and his participation in season 11 of Dancing with the Stars alongside partner Karina Smirnoff.

Throughout the 2010s, Sorrentino took part in various television productions, web series, and public campaigns. He served as a judge for the web talent series New Stage, participated in the Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump, appeared in a public service announcement for The Candie's Foundation, and joined a PETA advertising campaign. His screen appearances included a cameo in the 2012 feature film The Three Stooges, a role on ABC's Suburgatory, and appearances on dating and competition shows such as FOX's The Choice and Channel 5's Celebrity Big Brother 10, where he finished in fourth place.

Over the following years, Sorrentino expanded into non-scripted programs alongside family and partners. He starred in a family reality series on TVGN in 2014, joined Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars in 2015 with his partner Lauren Pesce, and appeared on Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars Family Edition in 2017 with his brothers Marc and Maximo. In 2018, he rejoined his original cast mates as a main cast member for the reboot series Jersey Shore: Family Vacation.

Sorrentino married his college sweetheart, Lauren Pesce, on November 1, 2018, and the couple has three children: a son born in May 2021, a daughter born in January 2023, and a daughter born in March 2024. In addition to his entertainment career, his personal life has included publicized legal and health challenges. He addressed a prescription opioid addiction that began during his time on Jersey Shore, entering rehab treatment in 2012 and maintaining sobriety beginning in December 2015. In January 2018, he pleaded guilty to tax evasion, subsequently serving an eight-month federal prison sentence from January to September 2019. In December 2023, he authored a memoir titled Reality Check: Making the Best of The Situation -- How I Overcame Addiction, Loss, and Prison.