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Snooki
Snooki at James Madison University, 2010
Born
Nicole Elizabeth Polizzi

(1987-11-23) November 23, 1987 (age 36)
Santiago, Chile
EducationBrookdale Community College[1][2]
Years active2009–present
Height4 ft 8 in (1.42 m)
Spouse
Jionni LaValle
​
(m. 2014)​
[3][4]
Children3
Websitesnookinicole.com

Nicole Elizabeth LaValle (née Polizzi; born November 23, 1987), best known by her nickname Snooki, 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. Since appearing on Jersey Shore in 2009, Snooki has 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 and personal life

Snooki 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] Snooki has taken two DNA tests to determine her genetic background. In 2014, the first DNA test stated her genetic background is: Romani, Iberian, South Asian, East Asian, Middle Eastern, and Jewish with roots in North Western Croatia, Macedonia, Slovakia, Russia, and Spain. She was surprised to learn that while born in Chile, she is not genetically Chilean.[10][11] Five years later, in January 2019, she took another DNA test, this time with 23andMe which stated that she was 59.5% Native Chilean and 31.2% European (mostly Iberian with distant British and Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry).[12] Snooki's father is a volunteer firefighter and auto-salvage supervisor, and her mother is an office manager.[13] Snooki lives in Florham Park, New Jersey.[14]

Snooki 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.[15] 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).[16] Snooki attended Brookdale Community College[1][2] after graduating from Marlboro High School, where she studied to become a veterinary technician.[6]

In March 2012, Snooki announced her engagement to Jionni LaValle.[3][17] Snooki gave birth to the couple's first child, Lorenzo Dominic LaValle, on August 26, 2012.[18] Snooki appeared on the front page of the March 2013 issue of Us Weekly, claiming to have lost 42 pounds post pregnancy.[19]

Her second child, Giovanna Marie LaValle, was born September 26, 2014, weighing in at 6lbs 7oz.[20] On November 29, 2014, Snooki married Jionni LaValle.[21]

In October 2016, Snooki announced she had had a breast augmentation to obtain a C cup.[22]

On November 22, 2018, she announced via her Instagram that she was expecting her third child.[23] On December 13, 2018, she revealed, via YouTube, that she would be having another boy,[24] who would be named Angelo.[25][26][27] On May 30, 2019, Snooki gave birth to her third child, Angelo James LaValle.[28]

Career

Snooki in 2010

Reality television

MTV first introduced Snooki in Is She Really Going Out with Him?,[29] a show that focused on women dating obnoxious or arrogant men. Snooki and her boyfriend, Justin, appeared in episode 14, "Jerz Pud".[30]

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.[31] At the height of the show's popularity, Snooki was reportedly earning $150,000 per episode.[32]

While shooting in Seaside Heights, Snooki was punched in the face by New York City school gym teacher Brad Ferro.[33][34] 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.[35][36][37]

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,[38][39] and they describe their show like a modern-day Laverne & Shirley.[40] 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.[41] 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.[42][43][44][45] The show chronicled her days in pregnancy and early years in motherhood and ran for four seasons before concluding in February 2015.

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.[46]

Dancing with the Stars

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.[47] They were eliminated on October 28, 2013, coming in 8th place despite receiving good scores and comments from the judges.[48]

Dancing with the Stars performances (Average: 25.0):

Week # Dance/Song Judges' score Result
Inaba Goodman Tonioli
1 Cha-cha-cha / "Wild Ones" 8 8 7 No Elimination
2 Rumba / "Just Give Me a Reason" 6 7 7 Safe
3 Quickstep / "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" 9 8 8 Safe
4 Jive / "Mickey" 8 8 8 Safe
5 Jazz / "Work Bitch" 9 9 9 Safe
6 Foxtrot / "Build Me Up Buttercup"
Switch-Up Challenge / Various 		9
Awarded 		9
3 		9
Points 		No Elimination
7 Samba / "Hey Mama"
Team Freestyle / "Bom Bom" 		9
9 		9
9 		9
9 		Eliminated

Other television appearances

Snooki was a presenter at the 2010 CMT Music Awards.[49] On July 27, 2010, the cast of Jersey Shore appeared at the New York Stock Exchange, and Snooki rang the opening bell.[50] Snooki and the cast of Jersey Shore appeared at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards on September 12, 2010.[51] 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.[52] 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.

WWE

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, were they started a street fight with LayCool in a bar. At Wrestlemania, Snooki and her partners Trish Stratus and John Morrison won the match.[53] 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.[54] 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."[55][56]

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.[57]

On October 25, 2011, Snooki's second novel, Confessions of a Guidette, was released with Gallery Books. The novel was marketed as a part-memoir, part-guide of how to "rock it Jersey-style.[58][59]

Snooki's third novel, Gorilla Beach, was released on May 15, 2012. It is a sequel to Snooki's first novel, A Shore Thing.[60]

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.[61]

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".[62] 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.[63]

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.[64]

Filmography

Year Title Character Notes
2009 Is She Really Going Out with Him? Herself Episode 14: "Jerz Pud"
2009–12 Jersey Shore Herself Main cast
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 Herself 3 episodes: Mar 14, Mar 28, Dec 12
2011 Silent Library Herself Episode “Jersey Shore”
2012–15 Snooki & Jwoww Herself Main cast
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 Herself Hosted with Kenny Santucci
2013 Dancing with the Stars Herself Season 17; Contestant
2014 Supernatural Herself Episode: "Blade Runners"
2015–present Snooki & Jwoww: Moms with Attitude Herself Main cast
2016 Nicole & Jionni's Shore Flip Herself Main cast[65]
2017 The New Celebrity Apprentice Herself Season 8; Participant (13th place)
2018–20 Jersey Shore: Family Vacation Herself Main cast
2018 Celebrity Fear Factor Herself Contestant
2018–19 How Far Is Tattoo Far? Herself Host
2020 Celebrity Family Feud Herself Season 7, Episode 4

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"[66] Won
2013 Razzie Awards "Worst Screen Couple" (shared with any combination of two cast members from Jersey Shore)[67] Nominated

References

  1. ^ a b Lara, Maria Mercedes (October 14, 2011). "Guido University: Which Jersey Shore Stars Went to College?". Wetpaint.
  2. ^ a b "Did the Jersey Shore Cast Go to College? — The Answer May Surprise You". August 15, 2017.
  3. ^ a b "Snooki: Yes, I'm Pregnant and Engaged!". Us Weekly. March 7, 2012. Retrieved March 7, 2012.
  4. ^ "Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi Marries Jionni LaValle". Huffington Post. November 29, 2014.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ a b c d e Horyn, Cathy (July 23, 2010). "Snooki's Time". The New York Times. Retrieved March 7, 2011.
  7. ^ "'Jersey Shore' Stars All Full-Fledged Italian? Fuggedaboutit!". Access Hollywood. NBCNewYork.com. February 17, 2010. Retrieved March 7, 2011.
  8. ^ "Interview with Snooki's dad, Andy Polizzi". newjersey.news12.com.
  9. ^ "Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi opens up about being adopted: 'I am blessed'". TODAY.com.
  10. ^ "Snooki DNA Testing Brings Out Gypsy". Access Hollywood. NewsMax.com. January 10, 2014. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  11. ^ "Snooki Isn't Chilean?! Find Out Her Shocking DNA Test Results". WetPaint. WetPaint.com. January 8, 2014. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  12. ^ "Snooki & JWoww's DNA Test Results Will Shock You 27 January 2019".
  13. ^ Erik Hedegaard (March 17, 2011). "Snooki!". Rolling Stone.
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  15. ^ "Snooki". How Vogue likes them. Vogue.it. Retrieved April 3, 2012.
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  19. ^ "'Jersey Shore' star Snooki loses 42 pounds, poses in bikini post baby". Fox News. March 6, 2013.
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  22. ^ https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/snooki-reveals-she-had-a-boob-job-surprises-jwoww-w445167/
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  24. ^ Ossad, Jordana. "Gender Reveal: Snooki's Third Little Meatball Is A..." MTV News.
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  26. ^ "Snooki Reveals Baby No. 3's Name". E! Online. April 12, 2019.
  27. ^ Brow, Jason (April 12, 2019). "Snooki Reveals Her Third Baby's Name As She Admits It's 'Almost Time' To Give Birth".
  28. ^ "'Outnumbered!' Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi and Jionni LaValle Welcome Son Angelo James". PEOPLE.com.
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  31. ^ Ward, Michelle (October 29, 2010). "Lady Gaga and Snooki Are Top Bestselling Celebrity Costumes". People magazine. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
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  33. ^ 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.
  34. ^ ""Jersey Shore" Punch Thrown By Brad Ferro, Queens Teacher (VIDEO)". Huffington Post. December 11, 2009. Retrieved April 1, 2011.
  35. ^ Callahan, Maureen (March 6, 2011). "Dejected former teacher who punched Snooki joins Army". New York Post.
  36. ^ Powers, Lindsay (March 7, 2011). "Man Who Punched Jersey Shore's Snooki Enlists in Army". The Hollywood Reporter.
  37. ^ O'Connor, Maureen (January 13, 2010). "The Rising Price of Snooki: A Comparative Analysis of Jersey Shore Appearance Fees". Gawker.
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  40. ^ "Snooki, JWoww: 'Jersey Shore' spinoff will be a modern-day 'Laverne & Shirley'". Fox News. February 8, 2012.
  41. ^ Huff, Richard (February 8, 2012). "MTV’s JWoww and Snooki spin into Jersey City after being kicked to the curb in Hoboken". Daily News.
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  43. ^ "Snooki lied — she’s preggers". New York Post. February 29, 2012
  44. ^ Collins, Scott. (February 29, 2012). "Snooki pregnancy reports cloud MTV 'Jersey Shore' spinoff". Los Angeles Times.
  45. ^ Vena, Jocelyn (March 1, 2012). "Snooki Pregnancy Rumors Continue To Swirl". MTV.
  46. ^ Webber, Stephanie (January 28, 2016). "Celebrity Apprentice Season 15 Cast Revealed: Snooki, Kyle Richards, Boy George and More!". US Weekly. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
  47. ^ Rice, Lynette (September 4, 2013). "'Dancing with the Stars': Season 17 cast announced". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  48. ^ Sacks, Ethan. "'Dancing With the Stars' loses its Shore Thing: Snooki eliminated from 'DWTS'". nydailynews.com.
  49. ^ Gilbert, Calvin (June 9, 2010). "News: It's Carrie Underwood's Night at the 2010 CMT Music Awards". CMT. Retrieved November 27, 2010.
  50. ^ Lee, Joyce (July 27, 2010). "'Jersey Shore' Cast Rings Opening Bell at New York Stock Exchange". CBS News. Retrieved March 7, 2011.
  51. ^ "Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi: Biography, Latest News & Videos". TVGuide.com. September 9, 2010. Retrieved March 7, 2011.
  52. ^ Adam Frucci (December 16, 2010). "The Real Snooki Meets the SNL Snooki". Vulture.com. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
  53. ^ "SNOOKI IS RAW". Archived from the original on February 19, 2012.
  54. ^ Rosenthal, Phil (October 3, 2010). "Literary world snookered by glitterati authors". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  55. ^ Halperin, Shirley. "Despite Media Blitz, Snooki's 'Shore Thing' Fails to Sell", The Hollywood Reporter, January 27, 2011
  56. ^ Friedman, Megan. "Shocker: Snooki Book Not A Shore Thing in Sales", Time magazine, January 29, 2011
  57. ^ 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
  58. ^ "5 Reality Stars Who Have Inked Book Deals". Vibe. October 12, 2012.
  59. ^ "Confessions of a Guidette". www.storytel.com.
  60. ^ Brissey, Breia (May 15, 2012). "Snooki's new novel 'Gorilla Beach': I read it so you don't have to!". Entertainment Weekly.
  61. ^ Brizel, Robert (February 1, 2012). "Irish Patrick Hyland Goes To 25-0 At Resorts". SaddoBoxing.com.
  62. ^ Parry, Wayne (September 8, 2010). "MTV's 'Snooki' fined $500 for bothering beachgoers". The Seattle Times. Associated Press. Retrieved March 7, 2011.
  63. ^ 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.
  64. ^ Hyman, Vicki. "'Jersey Shore': Snooki countersued for $7 million by licensing company".
  65. ^ "Snooki Is Returning To The Shore For A New Show". MTV News. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  66. ^ "2011 Slammy Award Winners". WWE.com. December 12, 2011. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  67. ^ "Razzie Awards 2013: Full List of Nominees". ABCNEWS.com. February 23, 2013. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
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