Jersey Shore’s Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi claims infamous on-camera arrest was staged by producers in ‘nightmare’ scene

JERSEY Shore’s Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi has claimed that producers had something to do with her infamous arrest on the show.

The MTV cameras filmed the July 30, 2010 incident, which aired on Season 3 of Jersey Shore .

YouTube/Jake Shane

MTV

MTV

Snooki , 36, opened up about the scene on Thursday’s episode of the Therapuss podcast , alleging it wasn’t what it appeared on screen.

“Those cops weren’t on shift for the town,” the TV personality revealed about the chaotic scene of her being handcuffed by police officers on the Seaside Park, New Jersey beach after a night and morning of partying.

“They were on shift from production to make sure they are protecting us from crazy people,” Snooki explained.

“So I don’t even think it’s legal because they weren’t working for the town, but I watched the video back, and one of the producers said, ‘Just arrest her.'”

Snooki was arrested for disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct, and criminal annoyance, though the charges were dropped two months later.

She ended up being fined and ordered to serve two days of community service.

BOOZY DAY OUT

Snooki further explained her behavior on the podcast , admitting she left her job at the boardwalk’s Shore Store after having “the shakes” from a nasty hangover following a night of drinking.

In an effort to ease the pain, the TV star indulged in more alcohol at neighboring bars before heading onto the beach.

However, due to her inebriated state, Snooki struggled to find an entrance to the beach, which resulted in cops being called.

The mother of three confessed that she’d “blacked out” by that point.

At the time, Snooki downplayed her arrest, claiming she only had “a couple of cocktails” and police put her “in a drunk tank to sober me up.”

Snooki has scaled back on partying since settling down with her husband, Jionni LaValle , 37, and having their three children : Lorenzo, 12; Giovanna, 9; and Angelo, 5.

Rumors have recently surfaced that she and Jionni are having marital problems and potentially heading for divorce.

In June, the reality star ditched her wedding ring in an Instagram video of her working in her boutique.

Nicole and Jionni's Relationship Timeline

Nicole and Jionni have had a rocky relationship, but they have stuck together through it all. Find out how their love story began and where they currently stand

Nicole and Jionni met in 2010 at the nightclub Karma

She was filming the third season of Jersey Shore at the time

Nicole was too drunk to remember his name and called him Bernard

They became an official couple months after meeting

Nicole and Jionni got engaged in March 2012

At the time, she also announced that they were pregnant with their first child

They had their son, Lorenzo, in August 2012

The reality TV stars got married in November 2014

Nicole had welcomed their daughter, Giovanna, in September before their marriage on November 29, 2014

In February 2016, Nicole and Jionni starred in the home renovation show, Nicole & Jionni’s Shore Flip, which was canceled after one season

Jionni did not appear on the revamped version of Jersey Shore, fueling rumors of a troubled marriage

They welcomed their third child , son Angelo, in 2019

In May 2024, reports surfaced that Nicole and Jionni were living in separate houses and sleeping in different bedrooms when together

Weeks earlier, sources told The U.S. Sun that Snooki and Jionni were living separately and spent “a lot of time apart.”

Insiders also claimed that Snooki and Jionni didn’t hide their arguments from MTV cameras, but the fights were never televised.

The pair met in 2012 while Snooki filmed Jersey Shore.

Jionni prefers to stay out of the public eye while his wife has been on and off the show.

She stepped back from the spin-off Jersey Shore: Family Vacation in 2019 but returned in 2021.

Season 8 premieres on September 19, and the entire cast returns, including Snooki, Paul “DJ Pauly D” DelVecchio , Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino , Jenni “JWoww” Farley , Vinny Guadagnino , Deena Cortese, Angelina Pivarnick , Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola , and Ronnie Ortiz-Magro .

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