‘Jersey Shore’ Star Mike Sorrentino Once Explained Why He Won’t Let His Brother Near His Kids

Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino has lived by one mantra for the last eight years: The comeback is always greater than the setback. Sorrentino, who starred on MTV’s Jersey Shore from 2009-2013 and now stars on the spinoff series Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, has certainly seen his share of ups and downs in his own life.

These days, Sorrentino has built himself a successful, sober life with his wife, Lauren, and their two children (and a third on the way!). At one point, though, Sorrentino was spending plenty of time with his brother Frank. But now, he won’t even let Frank see his kids.

Mike ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino once explained why his brother can’t see his kids

Sorrentino has been heavily influenced by his siblings through the years. Nearly a decade ago, Sorrentino and his brother Marc were both indicted on charges relating to tax evasion, and both were sentenced to prison time.

These days, Sorrentino appears to have distanced himself from some of his siblings. He rarely talks about his family, and back in 2021, Sorrentino called the police on his brother, Frank, after Frank showed up to the Sorrentino home unannounced. After the incident, Sorrentino explained on social media why he had to call the police. Sorrentino said he called the police on his brother because his brother is an “estranged family member” who has fallen “prey to mental illness from long term meth addiction,” according to Page Six.

Sorrentino went on to say that he was “prioritizing the health and safety” of his wife and then-newborn son, Romeo. Frank is reportedly not allowed to visit Sorrentino unless he is invited. “I have worked my a** off to be 6 years sober in December, going on 3 years in a happy healthy marriage to my college sweetheart in November and a dad to my first son who is 4 months old,” Sorrentino said in the 2021 statement. “Anybody can get the smoke if you try to jeopardize everything I have worked for.”

Sorrentino’s mother supported him at his first sold-out book signing

Fast forward to 2023, and it’s hard to say exactly where Sorrentino’s relationship with his family stands. He seldom talks about his brothers or his father, but he clearly has a positive relationship with his mother. After the release of his memoir in December 2023, Sorrentino’s wife and mother accompanied him to his first book signing, and he was sure to post about the signing on social media, calling it a “bucket list” moment.

“My beautiful wife, mother and children present for my first sold out book signing in my home state of New Jersey,” Sorrentino captioned the image of his family. He also joked that he’s officially known as “The Publication.” Sorrentino didn’t make any mention of his father, but he did reply to a fan’s comment joking about his dad setting up a “sloppy” job for him; he simply reacted with a laughing emoji, which doesn’t give much information about where things stand with him and his dad.

Sorrentino has clearly worked hard to get where he is today, and he’s done a full 180 on who he was 10 years ago.