Snooki
Nicole Elizabeth LaValle (née Polizzi; born November 23, 1987), best known by her nickname Snooki (/ˈsnʊki/ SNUUK-ee), is an American reality television personality. She is best known for being a cast member of the MTV reality show Jersey Shore and starring in Snooki & Jwoww and Jersey Shore: Family Vacation. Upon appearing on Jersey Shore in 2009, Snooki gained popularity, leading to numerous talk show appearances, web and television series participation and hosting, and a large social media following. She reportedly earned $150,000 per Jersey Shore episode by the last season.[5] She also appeared as the guest hostess for WWE Raw in 2011 and competed at WrestleMania XXVII that same year.
Early life and education
Polizzi was born in Santiago, Chile.[6] She was adopted when she was six months old and was raised by Italian-American parents,[7] Andy and Helen Polizzi.[8][9] Polizzi has taken two DNA tests to determine her genetic background. In 2014, the first DNA test stated that she had European, Asian and Jewish ancestry. Five years later, in January 2019, she took another DNA test which stated that she is of Native Chilean and European descent.[10] Polizzi’s father is a volunteer firefighter and auto-salvage supervisor, and her mother is an office manager.[11]
Polizzi received her nickname, Snooki, in middle school, when her friends named her after "Snookie", a male character in Save the Last Dance, because she was the first of her friends to kiss a boy.[12] She grew up and attended school in Marlboro, New York, where she was a cheerleader.[6] During high school, she suffered from an eating disorder, at one point weighing 80 pounds (36 kg).[13]
Snooki attended Marlboro High School in Marlboro. After graduating, she attended Brookdale Community College in Middletown Township, New Jersey,[1][2] where she studied to become a veterinary technician.[6]
Career
Reality television
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Snooki_at_James_Madison_University.jpg/190px-Snooki_at_James_Madison_University.jpg)
MTV first introduced Snooki in Is She Really Going Out with Him?,[14] a show that focused on women dating obnoxious or arrogant men. Snooki and her boyfriend, Justin, appeared in episode 14, "Jerz Pud".[15]
Snooki became part of the reality TV series Jersey Shore after being scouted by the casting director, Josh Allouche, an employee of Doron Ofir Casting. The New York Times identified her as "the breakout member of the cast".[6] According to The New York Times, her actions on the show have caused her to be the target of public disdain while having a "strange appeal".[6] One reported measure of her appeal was that she was one of the most popular celebrity Halloween costumes of 2010.[16] At the height of the show's popularity, Snooki was reportedly earning $150,000 per episode.[17]
While shooting in Seaside Heights, Snooki was punched in the face by New York City school gym teacher Brad Ferro.[18][19] The punch, while shown in previews, was blacked out during showings of the episode. Videos of the punch went viral on YouTube and were featured in many news media. After the punch was made public, Snooki's appearance fees increased from $2,000 per event to $10,000 per event.[20][21][22]
In 2011, Snooki and her Jersey Shore costar, Jennifer Farley, signed a contract to star in a spin-off show, Snooki & Jwoww, which premiered on MTV in June 2012. The first season followed Snooki and Farley moving in together,[23][24] and they describe their show like a modern-day Laverne & Shirley.[25] 495 Productions filmed the first season over the course of six weeks, at a former two-story firehouse located near Grove and Mercer Streets in Jersey City, New Jersey.[26] The second season relocated to the stars' actual permanent residences and began airing on January 8, 2013. This season had an expanded one-hour episode format. The March 2012 confirmation of Snooki's pregnancy raised speculation as to how the creative direction of her spin-off would be affected, as she would be unable to engage in the "hard-partying, booze-swilling" antics that had previously garnered high ratings for MTV.[27][28] The show chronicled her days in pregnancy and early years in motherhood and ran for four seasons before concluding in February 2015.
On September 4, 2013, it was announced on Good Morning America that Snooki would compete on the 17th season of Dancing with the Stars, partnered with newcomer Sasha Farber.[29] They were eliminated on October 28, 2013, coming in 8th place despite receiving good scores and comments from the judges.[30]
In early 2016, Snooki starred with her husband on the f.y.i. series Nicole & Jionni's Shore Flip. Since November 2015, Snooki has starred with Farley on the web series Snooki & Jwoww: Moms With Attitude produced by AwesomenessTV. The show wrapped its second season in late 2017. On January 28, 2016, it was announced that she would be a contestant on The New Celebrity Apprentice.[31]
Other television appearances
Snooki was a presenter at the 2010 CMT Music Awards.[32] On July 27, 2010, the cast of Jersey Shore appeared at the New York Stock Exchange, and Snooki rang the opening bell.[33] Snooki and the cast of Jersey Shore appeared at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards on September 12, 2010.[34] Snooki also appeared on TLC's Cake Boss episode "Snookie, Super Anthony & a Ship" on November 8, 2010, in which she orders a cake for her mom. On November 7, 2010, Snooki appeared at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Madrid, Spain. She was subsequently parodied in the South Park episode "It's a Jersey Thing", and is frequently parodied on Saturday Night Live by actor Bobby Moynihan.[35] She also hosted the MTV New Year's special MTV's Club New Year's Eve 2013, with Jwoww and Jeff Dye, on December 31, 2012, from Times Square, to ring in 2013.
Snooki made an appearance on the March 14, 2011, episode of WWE Monday Night Raw, where she had a segment with John Morrison, Vickie Guerrero and Dolph Ziggler. During the segment, she slapped Vickie, starting a feud with the couple. Later at night, she got into a brawl with LayCool, which led to the formation of a six-person Mixed Tag Team match at WrestleMania XXVII. Snooki made an appearance on the March 28, 2011, episode of WWE Monday Night Raw in a segment where Snooki introduces Trish Stratus to the Jersey Shore, where they started a street fight with LayCool in a bar. At Wrestlemania, Snooki and her partners Trish Stratus and John Morrison won the match.[36] On December 12, 2011, on WWE RAW, she was awarded the WWE 2011 A-Lister of the Year Slammy Award which she accepted via satellite.
Other ventures
In January 2011, Snooki's book, A Shore Thing, was released; it described her search for love on the boardwalk.[37] Despite a promotional campaign that included appearances by Snooki on The View, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and the Late Show with David Letterman, the book was not a sales success. It sold approximately 9,000 copies within its first month of release, during which it accumulated 16 one-star customer reviews on Amazon.com. One publishing executive said the book sold poorly because "rather than a tell-all, it was disguised as a novel."[38][39]
In April 2011, Snooki was paid $32,000 to speak at Rutgers University. Topics she spoke about included what being a celebrity is like and what she thinks is important in school, including the advice: "Study hard, but party harder". Some students complained the school's money would have been better used on speakers other than Snooki. Rutgers spokesman Steve Manas responded that the extension of the invitation to Snooki resulted from canvassing by students, who indicated whom they wanted to invite. Over 1,000 people attended Snooki's engagement.[40]
On October 25, 2011, Snooki's second book, Confessions of a Guidette, was released with Gallery Books. The book was marketed as a part-memoir, part-guide of how to "rock it Jersey-style.[41][42]
Snooki's third book, Gorilla Beach, was released on May 15, 2012. It is a sequel to Snooki's first book, A Shore Thing.[43]
In January 2012, Snooki's Team Snooki Boxing co-promoted a cooperative venture with Final Round Promotions, a boxing card at Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, featuring Irish featherweight boxer Patrick Hyland fighting and winning in the main event before a capacity crowd. Hyland's two brothers Eddie and Paul, also boxers, appeared in preliminary bouts. The event attracted considerable publicity in the boxing press.[44]
Personal life
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8b/Nicole_Snooki_Polizzi_2018.jpg/170px-Nicole_Snooki_Polizzi_2018.jpg)
Snooki lives in Florham Park, New Jersey.[45]
In March 2012, Snooki announced her engagement to Jionni LaValle.[3][46] Snooki gave birth to the couple's first child, Lorenzo Dominic LaValle, on August 26, 2012.[47] Snooki appeared on the front page of the March 2013 issue of Us Weekly, claiming to have lost 42 pounds post pregnancy.[48]
Her second child, Giovanna Marie LaValle, was born September 26, 2014, weighing in at 6lbs 7oz.[49] On November 29, 2014, Snooki married Jionni LaValle.[50]
In October 2016, Snooki announced she had had a breast augmentation to obtain a C cup.[51]
On November 22, 2018, she announced via her Instagram that she was expecting her third child.[52] On December 13, 2018, she revealed, via YouTube, that she would be having another boy,[53] who would be named Angelo.[54][55][56] On May 30, 2019, Snooki gave birth to her third child, Angelo James LaValle.[57]
Legal troubles
On July 30, 2010, Snooki was arrested in Seaside Heights, New Jersey for disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct, and criminal annoyance of others. In a September 8 plea bargain in which the latter two charges were dropped, Judge Damian G. Murray sentenced her to a $500 fine and community service. In handing down the sentence, he characterized Snooki as "a Lindsay Lohan wannabe".[58] Her arrest was taped during production of season three of Jersey Shore.
On May 31, 2011, in Florence, Italy, Snooki was briefly taken into custody by local police after the car she was driving collided with a parked traffic police car. According to Italian police, Snooki was cited and released. Two police officers sustained minor injuries.[59]
In late 2011, Snooki sued SRG Ventures, a licensing company she had signed with a year earlier to bring out Snooki-branded merchandise such as watches, shoes, lingerie, and school supplies, for breach of contract. She alleged the company had failed to adequately seek such licensing opportunities. The company countersued, alleging she and her manager had undermined its efforts by negotiating directly with manufacturers and delaying their decisions.[60]
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2009 | Is She Really Going Out with Him? | Herself | Episode 14: "Jerz Pud" |
2009–12 | Jersey Shore | Herself | Main cast, 6 seasons |
2010 | When I Was 17 | Herself | Season 1, Ep. 10 |
2010 | Cake Boss | Herself | Season 3, Ep. 21: "Snookie, Super Anthony & a Ship" |
2011 | WWE Raw/WrestleMania 27 | Herself | 3 episodes: Mar 14, Mar 28, Dec 12 1 match at WrestleMania: Apr 3 |
2011 | Silent Library | Herself | Episode "Jersey Shore" |
2012–15 | Snooki & Jwoww | Herself | Main cast, 4 seasons |
2012 | The Three Stooges | Herself | Cameo |
2012 | MTV's Club New Year's Eve 2013 | Herself | Hosted with JWoww & Jeff Dye |
2013 | Movie 43 | Herself | Cameo |
2013 | MTV's ChallengeMania: Road to Rivals II | Co-host | Hosted with Kenny Santucci |
2013 | Dancing with the Stars | Contestant | Season 17 |
2014 | Supernatural | Herself | Episode: "Blade Runners"[61] |
2015–17 | Snooki & Jwoww: Moms with Attitude | Herself | web series[62] |
2016 | Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry | Herself | Season 1, Episode 2[63] |
2016 | Nicole & Jionni's Shore Flip | Herself | Main cast[64] |
2016 | Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry | Herself | Season 2, Episode 1[65] |
2017 | The New Celebrity Apprentice | Contestant | Season 8; finished in 13th place |
2018–present | Jersey Shore: Family Vacation | Herself | Main (seasons 1-3, 5–), Recurring (season 4) |
2018 | Celebrity Fear Factor | Contestant | [episode needed] |
2018–19 | How Far Is Tattoo Far? | Host | 2 seasons |
2019 | Hollywood Medium whit Tyler Henry | Herself | Season 4, Episode 5[66] |
2020 | Ridiculousness | Herself | Season 16, Episode 28 |
2020 | Celebrity Family Feud | Herself | Season 7, Episode 4 |
2021 | Floribama Shore | Herself | Season 4, Episode 14 & 15, Hosted with JWoww[67] |
2021 | Cribs | Herself | Guest |
2021–22 | Messyness | Host | Main[68] |
2023 | All Star Shore | Narrator | Season 2 |
2024 | Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | Herself | Guest, Season 11, Episode 5 |
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | Teen Choice Awards | "Choice TV: Female Reality/Variety Star" | Nominated |
2011 | Teen Choice Awards | "Choice TV: Female Reality/Variety Star" | Nominated |
2011 | WWE Slammy Awards | "A-Lister of the Year"[69] | Won |
2013 | Razzie Awards | "Worst Screen Couple" (shared with any combination of two cast members from Jersey Shore)[70] | Nominated |
References
- ^ a b Lara, Maria Mercedes (October 14, 2011). "Guido University: Which Jersey Shore Stars Went to College?". Wetpaint.
- ^ a b "Did the Jersey Shore Cast Go to College? — The Answer May Surprise You". August 15, 2017.
- ^ a b "Snooki: Yes, I'm Pregnant and Engaged!". Us Weekly. March 7, 2012. Retrieved March 7, 2012.
- ^ "Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi Marries Jionni LaValle". Huffington Post. November 29, 2014.
- ^ Earl, Jennifer (April 10, 2018). "'Jersey Shore' star Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi reveals how much she earned during season 1 of the MTV series". Fox News.
- ^ a b c d e Horyn, Cathy (July 23, 2010). "Snooki's Time". The New York Times. Retrieved March 7, 2011.
- ^ "'Jersey Shore' Stars All Full-Fledged Italian? Fuggedaboutit!". Access Hollywood. NBCNewYork.com. February 17, 2010. Retrieved March 7, 2011.
- ^ "Interview with Snooki's dad, Andy Polizzi". newjersey.news12.com.
- ^ "Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi opens up about being adopted: 'I am blessed'". TODAY.com. July 9, 2018.
- ^ "Snooki & JWoww's DNA Test Results Will Shock You 27 January 2019". YouTube. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021.
- ^ Erik Hedegaard (March 17, 2011). "Snooki!". Rolling Stone.
- ^ "Snooki". How Vogue likes them. Vogue.it. Retrieved April 3, 2012.
- ^ Pepey, Tracy (January 20, 2010). "Snooki of 'Jersey Shore' Battled an Eating Disorder". iVillage. Archived from the original on January 26, 2010.
- ^ "Snooki: Before She Was on Jersey Shore!". US magazine. January 11, 2010. Retrieved November 27, 2010.
- ^ "MTV's Is She Really Going Out With Him? Ep.14, Jerz Pud". MTV.com. July 7, 2009. Archived from the original on January 16, 2010. Retrieved November 27, 2010.
- ^ Ward, Michelle (October 29, 2010). "Lady Gaga and Snooki Are Top Bestselling Celebrity Costumes". People magazine. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
- ^ Pesce, Nicole Lyn. "The 'Jersey Shore' cast five years later: Snooki hosts a podcast and the Situation faces jail". MarketWatch. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- ^ Jackson, Joe (December 11, 2009). "Nicole (Snooki) Polizzi, MTV 'Jersey Shore' cast member, punched by Queens teacher Brad Ferro: cops". New York Daily News. Retrieved April 1, 2011.
- ^ ""Jersey Shore" Punch Thrown By Brad Ferro, Queens Teacher (VIDEO)". Huffington Post. December 11, 2009. Retrieved April 1, 2011.
- ^ Callahan, Maureen (March 6, 2011). "Dejected former teacher who punched Snooki joins Army". New York Post.
- ^ Powers, Lindsay (March 7, 2011). "Man Who Punched Jersey Shore's Snooki Enlists in Army". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ O'Connor, Maureen (January 13, 2010). "The Rising Price of Snooki: A Comparative Analysis of Jersey Shore Appearance Fees". Gawker.
- ^ "MTV ANNOUNCES TWO "JERSEY SHORE" SPINOFFS" (Press release). MTV. April 7, 2011. Archived from the original on April 11, 2011. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
- ^ "PHOTOS: Snooki, JWoww move into old Jersey City firehouse for 'Jersey Shore' spinoff". NJ.com. February 26, 2012.
- ^ "Snooki, JWoww: 'Jersey Shore' spinoff will be a modern-day 'Laverne & Shirley'". Fox News. February 8, 2012.
- ^ Huff, Richard (February 8, 2012). "MTV's JWoww and Snooki spin into Jersey City after being kicked to the curb in Hoboken". Daily News.
- ^ Collins, Scott. (February 29, 2012). "Snooki pregnancy reports cloud MTV 'Jersey Shore' spinoff". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Vena, Jocelyn (March 1, 2012). "Snooki Pregnancy Rumors Continue To Swirl". MTV.
- ^ Rice, Lynette (September 4, 2013). "'Dancing with the Stars': Season 17 cast announced". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
- ^ Sacks, Ethan (October 29, 2013). "'Dancing With the Stars' loses its Shore Thing: Snooki eliminated from 'DWTS'". nydailynews.com.
- ^ Webber, Stephanie (January 28, 2016). "Celebrity Apprentice Season 15 Cast Revealed: Snooki, Kyle Richards, Boy George and More!". US Weekly. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
- ^ Gilbert, Calvin (June 9, 2010). "News: It's Carrie Underwood's Night at the 2010 CMT Music Awards". CMT. Archived from the original on June 13, 2010. Retrieved November 27, 2010.
- ^ Lee, Joyce (July 27, 2010). "'Jersey Shore' Cast Rings Opening Bell at New York Stock Exchange". CBS News. Retrieved March 7, 2011.
- ^ "Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi: Biography, Latest News & Videos". TVGuide.com. September 9, 2010. Retrieved March 7, 2011.
- ^ Adam Frucci (December 16, 2010). "The Real Snooki Meets the SNL Snooki". Vulture.com. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
- ^ "SNOOKI IS RAW". Archived from the original on February 19, 2012.
- ^ Rosenthal, Phil (October 3, 2010). "Literary world snookered by glitterati authors". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
- ^ Halperin, Shirley. "Despite Media Blitz, Snooki's 'Shore Thing' Fails to Sell", The Hollywood Reporter, January 27, 2011
- ^ Friedman, Megan. "Shocker: Snooki Book Not A Shore Thing in Sales", Time magazine, January 29, 2011
- ^ Saad, Nardine (April 1, 2011). "Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi talks at Rutgers for $32,000 about what it takes to be Snooki". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 9, 2012
- ^ "5 Reality Stars Who Have Inked Book Deals". Vibe. October 12, 2012.
- ^ Polizzi, Nicole "Snooki" (May 2012). Confessions of a Guidette. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9781451657142.
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ignored (help) - ^ Brissey, Breia (May 15, 2012). "Snooki's new novel 'Gorilla Beach': I read it so you don't have to!". Entertainment Weekly.
- ^ Brizel, Robert (February 1, 2012). "Irish Patrick Hyland Goes To 25-0 At Resorts". SaddoBoxing.com.
- ^ "Snooki buys new $2.6M Florham Park home". NJ.com. January 20, 2015. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
- ^ "Snooki's fiancee and is pregnant". E! Online. March 8, 2012.
- ^ "Snooki Gives Birth to a Boy". People. August 26, 2012.
- ^ "'Jersey Shore' star Snooki loses 42 pounds, poses in bikini post baby". Fox News. March 6, 2013.
- ^ "Snooki | Celebuzz". snookinicole.celebuzz.com. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
- ^ "Snooki & Jionni Are Married!". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
- ^ "Snooki Reveals Her Boob Job, Surprises JWoww". October 16, 2016.
- ^ "Jersey Shore Star Snooki Is Pregnant With Baby No. 3". November 22, 2018. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
- ^ Ossad, Jordana. "Gender Reveal: Snooki's Third Little Meatball Is A..." MTV News. Archived from the original on December 13, 2018.
- ^ "Pregnant Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi Reveals What the Name of Her Third Child Will Be". PEOPLE.com.
- ^ "Snooki Reveals Baby No. 3's Name". E! Online. April 12, 2019.
- ^ Brow, Jason (April 12, 2019). "Snooki Reveals Her Third Baby's Name As She Admits It's 'Almost Time' To Give Birth".
- ^ "'Outnumbered!' Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi and Jionni LaValle Welcome Son Angelo James". PEOPLE.com.
- ^ Parry, Wayne (September 8, 2010). "MTV's 'Snooki' fined $500 for bothering beachgoers". The Seattle Times. Associated Press. Retrieved March 7, 2011.
- ^ Lu, Anne (May 31, 2011). "MTV's Snooki crashes into police patrol car in Florence, Causes traffic jam". AHN. All Headline News. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
- ^ Hyman, Vicki. "'Jersey Shore': Snooki countersued for $7 million by licensing company".
- ^ "Farewell to 'Supernatural' Day 10: Snooki's 'SPN' Moment". November 12, 2020.
- ^ "Snooki and JWoww Dish Talk Motherhood, Marriage on Moms with Attitude | PEOPLE.com".
- ^ "Hollywood Medium's Tyler Henry Predicts Snooki Will Have More Children and 6 More OMG Moments From the Latest Episode". MTV News. February 2016. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
- ^ "Snooki Is Returning To The Shore For A New Show". MTV News. Archived from the original on November 19, 2015. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
- ^ "Watch Tyler Henry Connect Snooki's Family". MTV News. August 10, 2016. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
- ^ "Almost a Year After Losing Her Husband, Jill Zarin Gets Closure From Tyler Henryy". MTV News. March 22, 2019. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
- ^ Ossad, Jordana. "Will Floribama Shore's Feuding Roomies Take Snooki And JWOWW's Advice?". MTV News. Archived from the original on May 28, 2021. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
- ^ Norwin, Alyssa (August 20, 2021). "Snooki Reveals Why She's 'So Excited' To Host MTV's 'Messyness' After 'Jersey Shore' Exit". Hollywood Life.
- ^ "2011 Slammy Award Winners". WWE.com. December 12, 2011. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
- ^ "Razzie Awards 2013: Full List of Nominees". ABCNEWS.com. February 23, 2013. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Official website
- Snooki at IMDb
- Snooki's profile at Cagematch.net
, Internet Wrestling Database
- v
- t
- e
- Episodes
- Controversies and criticism
- Jersey Shore Shark Attack
- The Three Stooges
- The Pauly D Project
- Snooki & Jwoww
- The Show with Vinny
- Floribama Shore
- Family Vacation
- Double Shot at Love
- Revenge Prank
- Buckhead Shore