The Untold Truth Of Jenni 'JWoww' Farley
Jenni "JWoww" Farley burst on the scene in December 2009 with the premiere of "Jersey Shore," in which she was one of several 20-somethings living together "Big Brother"-style in a beach house in the Garden State. In a review of the first episode, The New York Times summed it up thusly: "eight young people of dubious intelligence and accomplishment ... thrown together in a lavishly appointed residence in Seaside Heights ... for a hormonally charged, alcohol-fueled summer." While the series upset Italian American organizations, "Jersey Shore" proved to be an out-of-the-gate hit; as Entertainment Weekly reported, the show's ratings were massive, making instant stars out of its young cast.
Farley was one of the show's standouts; after "Jersey Shore" ended its six-season run, Farley and co-star/BFF Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi headlined their own spinoff, "Snooki & JWoww." "[It's just] us being us, like 'Laverne and Shirley' for 2012," Farley told Fox News at the time. The pair ultimately reunited with their original castmates for "Jersey Shore: Family Vacation," a reboot/spinoff arriving nearly 10 years after the original series.
After more than a decade as one of the most popular personalities in the reality television milieu, fans have watched Farley get married, have children, endure a painful divorce and much more as she lived her life in front of the camera. Yet there's much more to her than meets the eye, something that will become apparent by reading further to delve into the untold truth of Jenni "JWoww" Farley.
Her original career goal was to become an animator
Long before shacking up with the rest of the "Jersey Shore" crew in Seaside Heights, Jenni "JWoww" Farley envisioned an entirely different career path for herself. "I wanted to work for Disney when I finished college because I love animation," she revealed in a feature for Us Weekly. Becoming an animator wasn't some vague pipe dream, but something she was actually working toward by studying computer programming at the New York Institute of Technology. "Right before I turned 21 I moved to New York City, and I had a dream of being an animator for Disney, Pixar, anyone that would take me," she explained on her YouTube channel.
However, her plans took a huge detour when she confronted the opportunity to join "Jersey Shore," which presented something of a conundrum in that the show's shooting schedule wouldn't permit her to do both the show and graduate from NYIT. We all know what she ended up choosing to do. As she told Us Weekly, "I wasn't the greatest at animation."
While Farley may have downplayed her animation skills, fans can draw their own conclusions by catching a glimpse of what could have been; Gawker came across a website that was believed to have showcased some of Farley's artwork from that time, including drawings of figures and geometric shapes, in addition to sketches of "Family Guy" character Stewie Griffin, Shrek, and the Mrs. Potts the teapot from Disney's "Beauty and the Beast."
Jenni Farley is a Disney super fan
Given Jenni "JWoww" Farley's early ambitions to become an animator with Disney, it shouldn't come as a surprise that she's something of a Disney super fan. That was evident in the Disney-themed nursery that she designed for her son, Greyson. In a YouTube video, she highlighted one wall of the room, which features romantic scenes from such Disney animated classics as "Aladdin" and "Beauty and the Beast," along with the words, "Once Upon a Time" adorning the wall. "I want my son to grow up looking at these pictures and knowing what it's like to treat any woman he comes across like a princess," she said.
Farley's love of Disney can also be seen on her epidermis. "I got a full sleeve of my version of Disney on my arm: a woman's 'ruin' tattoo," she told Us Weekly of the piece. In a 2016 chat with Inked, Farley said tat, which features a grim spin on four different Disney couples, both celebrates and subverts the stories. "It is sort of like 'Happily never after,'" she explained. After describing the inspiration behind each of the renderings, she said, "To me, that is the reality of relationships, they are crazy and take hard work — not that happily ever after bulls**t."
Her daughter is BFFs with Snooki's daughter
When she joined MTV's "Jersey Shore," Jenni "JWoww" Farley met Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi. Not only did the two become breakout stars of the massively popular reality hit, they also became real-life friends. "We have no shame," Farley said of her tight relationship with her co-star in a 2012 interview with Glamour. "We hug, we spoon, we sleep in the same bed, text each other 5,000 times a day."
When they each began having kids and becoming moms, their friendship only deepened as they bonded over their shared experience of motherhood. As it turned out, their friendship seems to have extended from themselves to their progeny, with Polizzi's and Farley's daughters becoming good buddies. Farley told Us Weekly in 2021, "[Melani and Giovanna] FaceTime each other almost every day." And as the girls grow older, they've come to an awareness of who their moms are, and why it is that they're famous. Farley told the outlet, "[Melani's] like, 'Mommy, they said you're on 'Jersey Shore' and Aunt Nicole got arrested and you peed behind a bar!'
While Farley isn't totally thrilled by the idea of her kids watching all of her "Jersey Shore" shenanigans, she knows the day will come. As she quipped to E! News in 2018, "I'll be like, it paid for your college education!"
JWoww deals with 'mom guilt'
As a working mom, Jenni "JWoww" Farley has experienced the pangs of guilt that many women experience. That was certainly the case when she had to shoot the second season of "Jersey Shore: Family Vacation" in Las Vegas. While she ultimately did go, she told Page Six she had to talk herself into it. "[I]t was like mom guilt times one thousand. ... Am I a really sh**ty mom for leaving him to go with my roommates? And that's where I was torn," she said.
Farley's worked hard to find a balance between being a mom and being a reality star who enjoys cutting loose. "I feel like there is a huge stigma: the moment you have kids, you are not allowed to drink, you are not allowed to put makeup on, how dare you take time to work out," she said in People in 2018. While the "Jersey Shore" stars have certainly mellowed out since the series' original run, they still know how to mix it up on a night out; Farley, as well as fellow moms Nicole Polizzi and Deena Cortese, continue to bring the party on "Family Vacation."
While "mom guilt" can be overwhelming, Farley told People she tries to stay in the moment while filming. "If I keep thinking about the kids, then I'm going to get upset and I'm going to ruin everyone's time," she said, adding that she knows her little ones are in good hands while she's working.
Jersey Shore has been good for JWoww's bank account
Jenni "JWoww" Farley's "Jersey Shore" fame has been enriching in more ways than one. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Farley has accumulated a net worth of $4 million; RadarOnline has reported that Farley earned $100,000 per episode back in 2012, a number that presumably increased when she signed on for the spinoff "Jersey Shore: Family Reunion."
Farley's net worth is on par with that of Angelina Pivarnick, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, and Sammi "Sweetheart" Giancola, all of whom are also worth $4 million. That's more than the net worths of Ronnie Ortiz-Magro ($3 million), Deena Cortese ($2 million) and Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino, whose reported net worth of $300,000 stems from his conviction for tax fraud. The only two "Jersey Shore" stars worth more than Farley are Vinny Guadagnino, reportedly worth $5 million, and Pauly "DJ Pauly D" DelVecchio Jr., whose popularity as a legit DJ has boosted his personal net worth to a hefty $20 million.
Farley could have enriched herself further had she not turned down a $400,000 offer to pose nude in Playboy. During an appearance on "Lopez Tonight," Farley explained why she rejected the gig. "I got an offer but because of 'Jersey Shore' and our fanbase I feel like it's not the appropriate time," she said (via Digital Spy). "There are 8, 9, 10-year-old fans of 'Jersey Shore' ... I don't want them to see me in that light yet."
Paris Hilton brought JWoww to Jersey Shore
Jenni "JWoww" Farley hadn't met Paris Hilton prior to being cast on "Jersey Shore," yet one might say she owes her role on the reality TV hit to the former star of "The Simple Life." The reason, Farley explained during an appearance on "Live with Kelly and Ryan," was that she initially attended a casting call for "Paris Hilton's My New BFF," a reality show in which regular folks audition to become Hilton's new bestie. In the course of the casting process, producers felt Farley would be a much better fit for another new reality show they were developing, which ultimately evolved into "Jersey Shore."
She and the other "Jersey Shore" hopefuls were brought to a hotel and remained sequestered in their individual rooms until the producers narrowed down the final lineup. In a 2018 YouTube video, she shared that after she found out she'd been selected for the reality series, she wasn't given any information beyond an address to the now-legendary Seaside Heights property. "So I legitimately showed up at the 'Jersey Shore' house and I could tell where I was supposed to be 'cause it was like cameramen, and producers, and cranes, and I just walked in the house like I did, and the rest is history," she said.
She's prone to stage fright
As a longtime reality TV star, Jenni "JWoww" Farley's line of work often requires her to make personal appearances. This, she admitted to Us Weekly, can be something of a fraught experience for her, given that she tends to experience severe stage fright in these types of situations. "I am an introvert, which some people find hard to believe," she explained. "If you put me on the spot to reenact something, I freak out and won't do it."
This is something that came into play when she and "Jersey Shore" co-star Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi were tapped as hosts of MTV's televised New Year's Eve celebrations back in 2012, a gig that placed the duo in front of a substantial crowd. "I have stage fright!" she declared to The Hollywood Reporter, noting that the event would mark the first time she'd been involved in a live event of such magnitude. "I've never hosted a live broadcast like this before, hopefully I don't freeze or go blank on stage," she shared. Farley's stage fright has also proven to be a factor whenever she's auditioned for movie roles. "I chicken out and I can't do it," she told She Knows.
Interestingly, she doesn't have any issues when it comes to filming reality TV. "I can have a camera in my face all day and be myself," she added, "but the moment you make me stand on stage and present awards, my knees shake."
JWoww was on a beloved soap opera
In addition to "Jersey Shore," Jenni "JWoww" Farley has also taken the occasional acting role. According to her somewhat sparse list of IMDb credits, these include playing herself in 2012's "The Three Stooges," as well as the lead in the 2022 movie "The Mint."
Her most intriguing acting role, however, was her multi-episode guest-starring stint in iconic soap opera "One Life to Live." Appearing in 14 episodes of the show back in 2013, noted TV Guide, Farley played a character named Nikki, a bartender at the nightclub owned by Blair Cramer (Kassie DePaiva). When "One Life to Live" joined the roster of streaming options on Apple TV+, Farley took to Twitter to joke, "Yay now everyone can see my terrible acting."
Speaking about her role in a 2013 behind-the-scenes video, Farley said reality TV hadn't exactly prepared her for appearing in a scripted acting role. "I'm a little too nervous to learn lines," Farley admitted at the time. "I have no idea what positioning and blocking and weird things that they're saying up there mean, but I'm going to try my best." In an interview with Cinephiled, Farley acknowledged her limitations as an actor but zeroed in on a role at which she could excel. "I mean, I think I could play a really good dead body on 'Law & Order' — that I could nail!" she quipped.
Jenni Farley is also a producer
Not only has Jenni "JWoww" Farley stretched out to dabble in acting, she's also ventured behind the camera. According to her IMDb profile, Farley had a dual role on her "Jersey Shore" spinoff "Snooki & JWoww," in which she was both star and producer (and, for one episode, executive producer).
Farley also served as producer for the 2014 made-for-TV movie "Jersey Shore Massacre," a slasher-movie spoof about six Jersey girls and five "fist-pumping delinquents" who find themselves targeted by a psychotic killer. As The Hollywood Reporter noted, the film starred Danielle Dallacco as the protagonist, while the rest of the roster featured a few regulars from "The Howard Stern Show" (including phony phone callers Richard Christy and Sal Governale), and embattled porn star Ron Jeremy. "From GTL, grenades and the crazy shore life, this insane horror comedy movie will not disappoint!" said Farley in a statement about the flick, which boasted the tag line, "You're not the only one who wants them dead."
In the movie "The Mint," Farley was both producer and actor, playing a character named Vicky, the on-again, off-again owner of a record label who's going through some ups and downs in her personal life. As she put it to NJ.com, "The fed-up ex-slash-girlfriend, which I play well." Chatting with FilmCourage.com, Farley compared Vicky to her "Jersey Shore" persona. "A kick-a** girl who has a strong personality and won't take s*** from anyone... Especially a man," she said.
She was 'obsessed' with Here Comes Honey Boo Boo
Not only has Jenni "JWoww" Farley starred in a few reality shows, she's also a big fan of the genre that made her famous. One show of which she was particularly fond was TLC's "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo," which chronicled the familiar hijinks of youngster Alanna "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson, sisters Anna (a.k.a. "Chickadee"), Jessica ("Chubbs"), and Lauryn ("Pumpkin"), along with matriarch June "Mama June" Shannon.
"I love her!" Farley told "Access" when asked about the star of "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" back in 2012; fellow "Jersey Shore" star Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi also sang the series' praises. Farley said she'd been a fan of Thompson since she made her TV debut in reality show "Toddlers & Tiaras," and even drew a comparison between the family in "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" and the "Jersey Shore" crew. "[T]hey don't care, they're a big family, they love who they are ... They're just having a great time," she said.
The following year, Farley got to meet the family when members of both "Jersey Shore" and "Honey Boo Boo" were guests for the 2013 GLAAD Media Awards. As the Daily Mail reported, Farley shared a photo of herself posing with Shannon, writing in the caption, "Honey boo boo b***hes!!!" and adding the hashtags "#obsessed" and "#loveher."
She launched her own fashion line
Jenni "JWoww" Farley was at the peak of her "Jersey Shore" fame when she decided to branch out into the fashion industry by launching her own clothing. As NJ.com reported at the time, she debuted her fashion line — dubbed Filthy Couture — in Las Vegas. Speaking with People (via Glamour), she described her designs as "sexy classy," insisting, "I won't go to porn star sexy. I won't go that far." The clothing, she explained, was meant to mirror her own personal style. While promoting the brand, she told MTV that she wasn't trying to launch a brand with mass appeal. "I want to sell to just people that like my stuff," she said.
Unfortunately, there were apparently not enough of those people to keep the business afloat; just a few months after making its debut, RadarOnline reported Filthy Couture shut down, supposedly due to problems involving trademark matters. A source also claimed Farley's insistence on taking a hands-on role while combined with the breakneck pace of her busy schedule proved to be a recipe for failure. However, after this story surfaced, Farley addressed her line's fate on Ryan Seacrest's radio show (via RadarOnline). "The best thing that ever happened to me was I got a new manager, and we did shut it down to get it ready to get ready to be sold in stores," she said. Alas, it looks like Filthy Couture 2.0 didn't take off like she hoped.
She still finds it 'weird' to be famous
Being cast in "Jersey Shore" was like winning the fame lottery for Jenni "JWoww" Farley and the rest of the roster, who rocketed from obscurity to stardom within a matter of weeks. Interestingly enough, during the initial run of the show, she and her co-stars didn't totally understand the series' magnitude. "I'll be honest; it's very weird for me to be recognized for a popular reality TV show because the first six seasons of the original 'Jersey Shore,' we had no idea how popular and famous we really were," Farley said in a video she shared on YouTube. "MTV really tried to hold that parental protective umbrella over us because they didn't want it to take away from how original and authentic we were as a cast." It's a catch-22: That authenticity was a key ingredient in the sauce that made the show so popular in the first place, but their overnight superstardom could conceivably mess with that sauce.
Of course, Farley and her co-stars are now certainly aware of how wildly famous they are and what a phenomenon their show is, and she has learned to take the good, the bad, and the trolls that come with her level of celebrity. As she wrote in a lengthy Instagram post at the end of 2019, "Speaking about haters ? I'm 34 with 2 kids. I've Literally Been puked, pooped and peed on (by my kids and some friends LOL) and have thicker skin than most."
She got engaged while skydiving
Jenni "JWoww" Farley and Roger Mathews started dating during the original run of "Jersey Shore," and in 2015, they tied the knot. They welcomed two children together before Farley filed for divorce in 2018; their split was finalized the following year, and they continue to co-parent their kids. Farley has since gotten engaged to professional wrestler Zack Clayton Carpinello, aka "24."
While Farley and Mathews' marriage did not last, the proposal proved to be a high point of their relationship — literally. That's because, as she told InTouch at the time (via MTV), he popped the question while they were skydiving. Of course, the moment was captured on "Snooki & JWoww." As the Daily Mail recapped, not only did Farley have no idea what was in store, she needed some serious convincing when it came to jumping out of an airplane. "Just thinking about it makes me nauseous," she said. "'I don't want to go skydiving because I accept my fears. I don't like heights."
Ultimately she did, and as the two plummeted to the ground, Mathews held up a sign to ask her to marry him. Recalling the grand gesture in an interview with NJ.com, Farley said, "I was in complete shock when I landed."
JWoww is a published author
Among her many other accomplishments, Jenni "JWoww" Farley has written a book. "The Rules According to JWOWW" — which boasts the incredible subtitle "Shore-Tested Secrets on Landing a Mint Guy, Staying Fresh to Death, and Kicking the Competition to the Curb" — was released in 2011. According to publisher HarperCollins, the book offers a variety of dating tips and personal revelations.
While promoting the book, Farley appeared in a YouTube video for Barnes and Noble to answer fan questions about relationships and the like. "My biggest thing is that a girl should never settle for any kind of guy," she shared. "It'll just never work, you're setting yourself up for disaster. And you know, if you can't find that type of guy, then maybe it's time for you to be single, and have a good time, and do you, and the right guy will come along." Farley echoed this sentiment in a chat with Anderson Cooper for CNN. She told him that it's crucial single women to do whatever it takes to feel good about themselves or, as she put it, "throw in the wow." As far as she's concerned, if you feel good about yourself, you'll feel less inclined to settle for someone who isn't the right pick.
Farley hasn't put out a followup to her first book, but if she did decide to write another one? We would be ready for the wow.