Snooki

Nicole Elizabeth LaValle (née Polizzi), widely recognized by her nickname Snooki, is an American reality television personality. She initially gained widespread recognition in 2009 as a cast member on the MTV reality series Jersey Shore. Her rising popularity led to multiple spin-off television projects, including Snooki & Jwoww and Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, as well as numerous talk show appearances, web series, hosting roles, and a substantial social media following.

Born in Santiago, Chile, Snooki was adopted at six months old and raised by her Italian-American parents, Andy and Helen Polizzi, in Marlboro, New York. Her father worked as a volunteer firefighter and auto-salvage supervisor, while her mother was an office manager. She attended Marlboro High School, where she participated in cheerleading, and later studied to become a veterinary technician at Brookdale Community College. During her middle school years, friends gave her the nickname Snooki after a male character in the film Save the Last Dance.

Snooki made her initial television appearance on MTV's Is She Really Going Out with Him? before being cast on Jersey Shore. Emerging as a breakout cast member on the show, she became a prominent media figure and saw her appearance fees increase significantly over time, eventually earning a reported $150,000 per episode by the final season of Jersey Shore. In 2012, she co-starred alongside Jennifer Farley in the spin-off series Snooki & Jwoww, which ran for four seasons and chronicled her transition into motherhood.

Beyond Jersey Shore and its spin-offs, Snooki appeared on numerous other television projects. In 2013, she competed on the 17th season of Dancing with the Stars, placing eighth alongside partner Sasha Farber. She also co-starred on the FYI series Nicole & Jionni's Shore Flip in 2016, participated in the web series Snooki & Jwoww: Moms With Attitude, and was announced as a contestant on The New Celebrity Apprentice. Additionally, Snooki appeared in professional wrestling entertainment, hosting WWE Raw in 2011 and winning a six-person Mixed Tag Team match at WrestleMania XXVII.

Snooki has pursued several commercial and publishing opportunities outside of television. She authored multiple books, starting with her 2011 release A Shore Thing, followed by Confessions of a Guidette later that year and its sequel Gorilla Beach in 2012. In early 2012, her business venture Team Snooki Boxing co-promoted a successful boxing event at the Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City featuring featherweight boxer Patrick Hyland.

Snooki resides in Florham Park, New Jersey. She married Jionni LaValle in November 2014, and the couple has three children: Lorenzo Dominic, Giovanna Marie, and Angelo James. In early 2026, Snooki revealed she had been diagnosed with Stage 1 cervical cancer following several years of abnormal pap smear results, undergoing subsequent medical procedures for her condition.