A newly announced “Jersey Shore” reboot that would feature a fresh crop of roomies is making waves with the reality show’s original cast.
Current cast members, from Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi to Paul “DJ Pauly D” DelVecchio, have collectively slammed MTV for greenlighting a “2.0? version of the unscripted franchise they’ve been a part of since “Jersey Shore” premiered back in 2009.
“As a cast that took a chance with a network in need, we put our most vulnerable moments on television for the world to see,” the cast wrote in statement posted to their social media accounts Thursday.
“We gave our all over the past 13 years, became a family and continue to open our lives for the world,” the statement continues. “So please understand that we are not in support of a version that will exploit our original show, our hard work and authenticity to gain viewers.”
Other cast members who shared the statement include Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, Jenni “JWoww” Farley, Vinny Guadagnino, Angelina Pivarnick and Deena Cortese.
The sentiments came a day after MTV’s parent company, Paramount Global, unveiled its upcoming lineup on Wednesday for 2022-2023 programming, and also announced upcoming projects for its brands including BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon and Paramount+.
In announcing an upcoming show with a working title of “Jersey Shore 2.0,” to air on MTV, Paramount wrote: “It’s been 13 years since the iconic cast of Jersey Shore fist-pumped their way into our lives and stole our hearts. Now, the time-honored tradition continues with a new group of roommates moving into their own Shore house.
“They may have traded their poofs for plumped pouts and UV rays for spray tans, but when things heat up in Jersey, the Shore is still the place to be to make memories all summer long,” the show’s description went on.
Reps for Paramount did not immediately return a request for comment on the original cast members’ reaction to the upcoming project.
The first run of “Jersey Shore” ended in 2012, spawning multiple spinoff shows before most of the original cast returned for “Jersey Shore: Family Vacation” in 2018.
“Family Vacation” is currently in its fifth season, with the second half of that season yet to air.
