‘Jersey Shore’ Star Ronnie Ortiz-Magro Went to Rehab After Hitting ‘Rock Bottom’
Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, of Jersey Shore fame checked himself into rehab for a month to be treated for alcohol abuse and depression.
The reality star opened up about treatment in an interview with Us Weekly, revealing that he left after about a month. He hoped rehab would help him "be a better person, a better father," adding that he went after realizing the weight of all his "bad decisions."
"I decided to go to treatment because I wanted to be a better person, a better father for my daughter," the 33-year-old said. "Eventually, all the bad decisions I was making were going to lead me to places that I didn't want to be. I wanted to be led to the place that I am now – that's happy, healthy and the best role model for my daughter."
He noted that he continued to struggle with his relationship to alcohol, calling addiction "a progressive disease." Ortiz-Magro said he didn't realize how bad his drinking had gotten until he stopped.
"I think it's a chronic disease. It's a progressive disease. I'm still struggling," he revealed. "You stop and you start up again, and it's worse than when you stopped. You're just like, 'Wow, I thought I had this under control,' but at the end of the day, it has full control over you."
He did not share with the magazine whether he had completely given up drinking or not. Ortiz-Magro was treated at Headwaters treatment center in West Palm Beach, Florida. He left the facility on Feb. 10.
The longtime Jersey Shore cast member is expected to continue to appear on MTV's reboot of the show, Jersey Shore: Family Vacation.