Ronnie Breaks Down In Jersey Shore Return as He Plans to 'Ask My Roommates for Forgiveness'

The reality star returned to Jersey Shore Family Vacation on Thursday's premiere, the latest in only a handful of appearances he's made since leaving the series in 2021 to seek treatment for mental health issues ... a decision which came after a string of legal problems.

In the new hour, he was first seen calling up Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino -- one of the few cast members who's stayed in close contact with him -- to share an update on his life. "I sold my house in LA," he shared, revealing he was planning to move to Miami with daughter Ariana ... and wanted to visit New Jersey for a couple days.

"Right now I'm all about new beginnings. I'm getting ready to start over. I feel at peace for the first time in a lot of years. But I know I made my mistakes and I want to ask my roommates for forgiveness," he added in a confessional.

As he was seen making his way to Mike's home later in the hour, he added in a confessional that he hadn't seen his roommates at all over the last two years. When asked by a producer off-camera if he missed them, he broke down crying after saying, "All the time, yeah."

"It's really good seeing Mike. We have a good close friendship," he added. "I missed our group chats and our stupid jokes. I miss them."

At Mike's, Ron revealed that his ex Jen Harley -- Ariana's mother -- also moved to Florida, but was adamant that they did not move there together. "We're getting along," he added, "I was granted full custody of Ariana. But I do still let her spend time with Jen because I don't want to be that parent that breaks up the relationship with the other parent."

As the two kept talking, Ron revealed he did sent the entire cast a text, before also sending individual messages tailored to each of them. According to him, nobody ever responded to him. Mike's bright idea was to have Ortiz-Magro "pop in" during the group's next "family vacation" -- with the hope that, "once you're in front of everyone, I can for-see a few people saying how they feel."

After warning Ron, "Your actions may have affected them and then they were upset," Mike added in a confessional that "everyone was shocked by his actions. It wasn't just one action, it was over and over and over, until those relationship were severed and non-existent."

Breaking down in tears again, Ron reiterated how much he missed and loved the cast, saying "they're like family." He added, "We've known each other for 15 years. It sucks, I miss being a family."

With that, Ron said he was ready for a true return, if the rest of the group would have him. "I'm at peace for once," he explained, before Mike cracked that, "probably the next step is for you and Sam to get back together."

"I would love to get back in the good graces of my roommates. I miss them, I love them, they're like family," Ron added in a confessional. "We've known each other for 15 years. I'm in the right mental space, I can be around that atmosphere and that environment."

While they were both on the same page that Ron should at the very least make a cameo during the next trip, Mike also didn't want anyone to know it would happen ... because springing a surprise emotional moment on this group is always a good idea, right? Making matters even more complicated: In the same episode, Angelina Pivarnick was seen also trying to talk Ron's ex, Samantha "Sammi Sweetheart" Giancola, into joining them on the vacation as well ... with neither party knowing the other could be there.

We'll see what happens next when Jersey Shore Family Vacation airs Thursdays on MTV.