Ronnie Ortiz-Magro steps away from ‘Jersey Shore’ to undergo mental health treatment
Ronnie Ortiz-Magro is stepping away from the Jersey Shore franchise to seek treatment for mental health issues.
It was announced Thursday that the reality star would not face new criminal charges for his April domestic violence arrest, but will be charged with a probation violation. His attorney said he's "currently seeking medical treatment for psychological issues," and he's since announced he's taking a break from Jersey Shore: Family Vacation while he receives that treatment.
"After talking to the team at MTV, we have mutually agreed that I will step away from the show while I seek medical treatment for mental health issues that I've ignored for too long, "Ortiz-Magro posted the message to social media.
He said his "number one goal" now is "facing my struggles head on." He acknowledged that the process will be "difficult," but said his top priority "is to get healthy and be the best man and the best father I can for my daughter," referring to Ariana, 3, from his relationship with Jenn Harley.
On Friday morning, he shared this message about the difficulties of battling mental illness.
On Thursday, it was announced he would not face new criminal charges for his April domestic violence arrest allegedly involving his girlfriend, Saffire Matos.
His attorneys Scott E. Leemon and Leonard Levine said in a statement, "We are very happy that after further investigation both the L.A. County District Attorney's office and the L.A. City Attorney's office determined that criminal charges were not warranted against Ronnie related to the incident that occurred in April."
However, he is being hit with a probation violation stemming from a domestic violence case involving ex Harley. There will be a hearing next month on the matter.
His attorney statement also said, "As we previously stated, there was a rush to judgment by the media. We will review the alleged violation of probation claim and deal with it accordingly." In the statement, it was noted Ortiz-Magro "is currently seeking medical treatment for psychological issues that he has ignored for a long time. His only present goal is to address these issues professionally and make himself a better person and the best father he can be to his loving daughter."
Ortiz-Magro was arrested April 22 after allegedly attacking a partner, thought to be Matos, in L.A. He was jailed and was released the same day on a $100,000 bail. At the time of the alleged incident, his daughter was in his care.
After his arrest, Ortiz-Magro wrote on social media, "I take all experiences as lessons. You learn who really cares about you when your down and out and than you see who doesn't [sic]! But I guess they call it the weeding process."
Matos asked people to "please leave Ron and I alone. You don't know what someone is going through at the end of the day."
Soon after the arrest, however, the charge against him was handed down from the L.A. District Attorney's Office to the City Attorney's Office, which suggested he would face a misdemeanor charge instead of a felony charge. It was then decided no charge would be filed beyond the probation violation.
Ortiz-Magro, who is an original cast member on Jersey Shore and now appears on the Jersey Shore: Family Vacation spinoff, has faced many legal issues since his time in the spotlight. Last year, he made a plea deal to settle his domestic violence case with Harley. For that case, he avoided jail, but is on probation for 36 months, had to serve 30 days of community labor, complete a 52-week domestic violence program and pay $20,000 to a women’s shelter.
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