Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi recently uncovered the true reason she was given up for adoption as a baby during her first conversation with her biological mother.

The 37-year-old TV star, who had recently recalled her unexpected pregnancy while working on Jersey Shore, experienced this poignant moment during Thursday’s installment of the MTV reunion series Jersey Shore: Family Vacation.

The reality star was adopted from Chile by an Italian-American family when she was just six-months-old, which she has previously opened up about. 

Engaging with her birth mother through a translator in a video chat, Snooki, accompanied by her friend and fellow cast member JWoww for moral support, inquired, ‘Why was I given up for adoption?’

According to the translator, her birth mother ‘said when she realized she was pregnant, she told her partner, your father, and he just disappeared, leaving her by herself.

‘She didn’t have any support at that moment so that was the only option that she had. Even [though] it was painful, she had to let you go.’  

Snooki admitted during a confessional – which was filmed last year – ‘For 36 years, I’ve been thinking about this question, and now the answer is going to pop up any second. This is insane.’ 

The TV personality also revealed to her birth mother that she has been living ‘an amazing life.’ 

But when the birth mom questioned if she was ‘angry’ with her over being put up for adoption, Snooki decided that the pair should speak on the phone instead of messaging.

Despite revealing that she was ‘nervous’ to hear her birth mother’s voice, Snooki greeted her by saying hello in Spanish. 

JWoww – who was sitting next to her co-star for the conversation – jokingly chimed in with, ‘”Hola!” You sound like Dora the Explorer.’

The translator then shared a message from the birth mom and expressed, ‘She said, ‘I’m sorry for putting yourself in that situation, and that you were adopted.’ 

On the other end of the phone call, Snooki’s birth mother became tearful and admitted that putting her up for adoption as a baby had been ‘very difficult’ for her. 

Per the translator, she also said that she ‘never forgot’ about Snooki – and the star then comforted her birth mom. 

Snooki told her that she was ‘adopted by loving parents’ who ‘spoiled’ her and was also raised in the state of New York. 

The moving scene then cut to a confessional as the reality star reflected on the past and expressed, ‘Obviously, I wouldn’t even be here if she didn’t put me up for adoption. 

‘I have amazing parents. I had a great childhood. And then meeting my roommates,’ Polizzi added, referencing to her Jersey Shore co-stars. ‘And then meeting Jionni. And then having my kids.’

Snooki shares three children – Lorenzo, 11, Giovanna, 10, and Angelo, six – with husband Jionni LaValle, whom she married in 2014. 

The TV personality informed her birth mom that she was married and is also a mom to three kids. 

The translator explained to the star that her birth mother said, ‘She’s happy to know that you are a family now, and she’s very happy knowing that you were okay. She’s really happy she talked to you, and she loves you.’ 

Following the conversation with her birth mom for the first time, Polizzi shared that she was ‘happy’ but also explained that ‘she’s still a stranger to me.’ 

In regards to pal JWoww asking if she would meet her birth mom in person in the future, Snooki said she was unsure. 

‘I’m just so content with my life and who my parents are, I don’t know where to go from here. My emotions are everywhere.’ 

Snooki has previously opened up about her adoption, such as on Khloe Kardashian’s past talk show Kocktails With Khloe. 

Back in 2020, the mom-of-three explained to Khloe that she had begun to look into her birth family and discovered she also ‘had like 10 other brothers and sisters.’ 

Polizzi added at the time, ‘I guess they couldn’t afford me. I haven’t met them yet… I’m definitely open to going there and meeting them.’

And in an YouTube video she uploaded nearly 10 years earlier in 2016, Snooki got candid about her adoption story with fans. 

‘I was adopted at six months from Santiago, Chile. And I was adopted by Helen and Andrew Polizzi,’ the star expressed. 

‘They flew all the way to Chile to come pick me up and they said right when they saw me they said I was like, “Mama, Dada!” So it was meant to be, things just work out that way – it’s called fate.’ 

She added, ‘I was always meant to be with my adopted parents, which I don’t even – ew, I hate saying adoptive parents because they are my parents. It’s weird.’ 

Snooki also recalled trying to ask her parents why her birth family had put her up for adoption. 

‘Eventually, when I was 21, 22, I got my dad drunk and was like, “Dad, can you just tell me what went on? Why was I up for adoption?” And basically, my birth parents had other siblings and they couldn’t afford me.’ 

The TV personality continued, ‘I can’t even imagine putting up a child for adoption to give them a better life. 

‘That’s so amazing for them. I couldn’t even imagine how they felt giving me up, but thank you for that.’