Jersey Shore‘s Mike ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino opened up about the neck injury he endured on the season 4 cast trip which left him in a neck brace for most of the season.
On the More Life with Carl Radke podcast, The Situation detailed how his withdrawals led to his injury.
The infamous Italy trip:
During the cast trip to Florence, Italy, drama unfolded at a pizza place. Toward the end of the trip, Mike had to be carried out of the house on a stretcher when he ran his head into a wall.
“I mean, that was essentially like a metaphor for my life, right?” said The Situation. “I literally and figuratively hit a wall, right, and I needed to.”
He first confessed publicly to his substance usage in 2012, when he checked himself into a 60-day stint in rehab. The Situation relapsed years later when a rib injury led to a painkiller prescription. He told PEOPLE in 2017, “From there it was just a spiral.”
“I actually, to this day, now being where I am in life, I celebrate that time, you know what I mean?” Mike admitted on the podcast.
“I actually currently have a guy making a sculpture of me, you know, with the neck brace and sunglasses. Because it’s a very iconic moment in reality TV. But, it’s one of the times that shook me to my core.”
Congrats, Mike!
This year, Mike will be 11 years sober after spending years struggling with an opioid addiction.
After battling oxycodone and cocaine during his time on Jersey Shore, he ultimately hit rock bottom and committed to a new life in recovery on Christmas Eve 2015.
Mike has credited his sobriety to his “one day at a time” approach, 12-step programs, and the steadfast support of his wife, Lauren.
