Michael Sorrentino
Michael Sorrentino, also known as The Situation, is an American television personality. He appeared on all six seasons of the MTV reality show Jersey Shore, from 2009 through 2012.
In September 2019, Sorrentino completed an eight-month prison sentence related to his felony conviction for tax evasion, then returned to the franchise with .
Career
Sorrentino was a cast member of Jersey Shore, which ran from 2009 to 2012. Since appearing on that show, Sorrentino has been a guest on TV series including The Howard Stern Show, The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, The Jay Leno Show, Lopez Tonight, SportsNation, Chelsea Lately, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and Conan.Sorrentino was a contestant on Season 11 of Dancing with the Stars. His partner was Karina Smirnoff. He made it to the 4th week before being eliminated.
In 2010, Sorrentino appeared with Bristol Palin in a public service announcement for The Candie's Foundation, as part of its Pause Before You Play campaign to prevent teen pregnancy.
In January 2011, Sorrentino signed on to star as a judge in the YOBI.tv talent-show web series New Stage.
Sorrentino made more than $5 million in 2010, the second highest of any other reality star after Kim Kardashian. This money was accrued through endorsements with Devotion Vodka, Reebok Zigtech shoes, as well as a ghost-written autobiography, a rap song, a workout DVD, a vitamin line for GNC, a clothing line, and appearances on Jersey Shore and Dancing with the Stars.
In March 2011, Sorrentino appeared on the Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump. His performance was widely panned and mocked. During his set, Sorrentino's jokes elicited jeers from the audience, prompting veteran roaster Jeff Ross to intervene. In August of that year, Sorrentino was offered ten thousand dollars by fashion retailer Abercrombie & Fitch not to wear the company's clothes. A spokesman for the company explained that "Mr Sorrentino's association with our brand could cause significant damage to our image." In November 2011, Sorrentino filed a lawsuit against A&F after they made shirts that read "The Fitchuation" and "GTL...You Know The Deal." This case however, was dismissed before proceeding to trial.
On February 22, 2012, Sorrentino appeared in a small cameo role on ABC's Suburgatory. In June 2012, he participated in Fox's dating game show The Choice. On August 15, 2012 he became a housemate on the tenth series of Celebrity Big Brother on Channel 5 and on September 7, 2012 he came in fourth on the series final.
In October 2012, he appeared in a PETA ad campaign promoting the spaying and neutering of pets.
In 2014, he appeared on a reality show with his family, which aired on the TVGN network. In the following year in 2015, he was a participant on the fifth season of ' with his partner, Lauren Pesce.
In 2016, he was a participant on the 9th season of Worst Cooks in America.
In April 2017, Sorrentino appeared on We TV's ' with his brothers Marc and Maximo Sorrentino.
In 2018, Sorrentino reunited with most of his Jersey Shore cast members in a reboot of the series titled . The first and second seasons aired in 2018 with Sorrentino as a main cast member. It was confirmed in May 2019 that he will “be a huge part” of the third season, including documentation of his wedding, court sentencing, and events leading up to his jail time.
Personal life
Early life and education
Sorrentino was born in the New York City borough of Staten Island and raised in Manalapan Township, New Jersey, graduating from Manalapan High School in 1999. He obtained an associate degree from Brookdale Community College and attended Kean University and Monmouth University.He gained his nickname “The Situation” when a girl complimented his abs while walking with her boyfriend on a beach in New Jersey. The girl's boyfriend was angered by her complimenting another guy, and Sorrentino's friend joked that his abs were causing a "situation", or a problem between the couple.
Sorrentino worked as an assistant manager of a fitness center in Staten Island. When he was 25, he lost this job and began underwear modeling.
In addition to his brothers, he has a younger sister, Melissa, who appeared as a bride in Say Yes to the Dress. Marc also serves as The Situation's manager and partner in MPS Entertainment, LLC, and Situation Nation, Inc.
Substance abuse and treatment
On March 21, 2012, Sorrentino publicly acknowledged that he had been struggling with an addiction to oxycodone, a prescription opioid pain medication. He also confirmed that he had entered rehab. He checked out of the Cirque Lodge treatment center in Utah on April 4, 2012.Marriage
From 2004 to 2007, Sorrentino dated his college sweetheart, Lauren Pesce. They later reconciled, and on April 26, 2018, Sorrentino announced they had become engaged. They married on November 1, 2018.Legal issues
On June 17, 2014, Sorrentino was arrested for assault after a fight with his brother at their family's tanning salon in Middletown Township, New Jersey.Tax evasion case
In September 2014, Sorrentino was charged with tax fraud, allegedly avoiding paying taxes on $8.9 million. According to the US Attorney, Sorrentino and his brother, Marc, established S corporations that paid for personal expenses and failed to report income. In April 2017, further charges were levied against Sorrentino and his brother, alleging tax evasion and the structuring of bank deposits to avoid reporting thresholds.On January 19, 2018, Sorrentino pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion, as part of a plea bargain with prosecutors. Sentencing occurred on October 5 at the United States District Court of New Jersey in Newark.
On October 5, 2018, Sorrentino was sentenced to eight months in prison. He also received two years of supervised probation, to begin after his release, and was ordered to undergo 500 hours of community service.
On October 22, 2018, an order was issued by United States District Judge Susan Wigenton extending the date for Sorrentino to surrender to the Federal Bureau of Prisons no earlier than January 15, 2019, or as soon thereafter as the Bureau of Prisons shall designate. Upon surrendering on January 15, the Bureau of Prisons designated that he would serve his sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution, Otisville, in Otisville, New York, as prisoner No. 66910-050.
On January 15, 2019, Sorrentino surrendered himself to the Otisville Federal Correctional Institution to begin his eight-month sentence for tax evasion. He was released on September 12, 2019 at 8:10 AM EST. On January 17, 2019, Sorrentino's brother Marc began serving a 2-year prison sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Fairton, New Jersey, approximately away from the Otisville Federal Correctional Institution.