Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi has revealed she is preparing to undergo a ‘scary’ hysterectomy after being diagnosed with cervical cancer at just 38.
The Jersey Shore favorite first shared the shock diagnosis in February, telling fans she had stage 1 cervical cancer.
‘I had a breakdown,’ the Jersey Shore star told People. ‘I got to my car and I called my mom hysterically crying, thinking the worst.’
A more encouraging update has since emerged, with further tests confirming the cancer remains confined to its early stage and that, following a hysterectomy in the coming months, she’ll need no further treatment.
‘I was scared,’ admitted Polizzi, who lives with her husbandJionni LaValle and their three children in Florham Park, New Jersey.
‘But you know what? It’s not the worst case and I can still deal with it,’ she said. ‘I’m gonna be fine.’
Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi has revealed she is preparing to undergo a ‘scary’ hysterectomy after being diagnosed with cervical cancer at just 38
A more encouraging update has since emerged, with further tests confirming the cancer remains confined to its early stage and that, following a hysterectomy in the coming months, she’ll need no further treatment
Long before her diagnosis, Polizzi had been dealing with a pattern of abnormal Pap smear results.
Though she describes the findings as ‘nothing crazy’, she was advised to return every six months – far more often than the standard three-year check.
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Over time, however, Polizzi began skipping those follow-ups, put off by how uncomfortable she found the exams.
‘I ended up not going for like a year and a half because it’s uncomfortable, it’s not fun.’
Looking back, she admits she was aware of the potential danger but chose to avoid confronting it.
‘I knew something bad could happen,’ she says, ‘but instead of dealing with it, I just pretended it wasn’t happening.’
It was only after repeated calls from her doctor throughout 2025 that Snooki finally returned, spurred by urgent warnings about her condition.
‘My doctor was leaving me a voicemail screaming at me like, “You need to get in here. This is serious. You don’t want it to escalate.” That’s when I finally went in,’ she said.
Polizzi shares three three kids – Lorenzo, 13, Giovanna, 11, and Angelo, six, with husband Jionni LaValle; (pictured in May 2025)
Back in January, Polizzi first opened up to fans in an emotional TikTok video, revealing she had been dealing with abnormal Pap smear results and precancerous cells for around four years.
‘I’ve had issues with getting abnormal results and precancerous cells on your cervix and everything. It’s very stressful you guys,’ Polizzi told viewers, letting out a long sigh as she spoke candidly about the ongoing worry.
She went on to explain that, on her doctor’s advice, she recently underwent a colposcopy and biopsy.
‘That hurt. It wasn’t a great experience,’ said the MTV star, who also recently learned the truth about her adoption after speaking to her birth mother for the first time.
Recalling the follow-up call from her doctor, she said: ‘Doctor calls me and he’s like, “Not looking great.” He found cancerous cells on the top of my cervix.’
Polizzi added that she would need a cone biopsy for further testing and possible treatment, which would be carried out under anaesthetic.
‘I’m terrified,’ she admitted. ‘It’s scary, but we have to get it done because cervical cancer is nothing to joke about.’
She also revealed that a hysterectomy could ultimately be required depending on the cone biopsy results, a moment that left her emotional.
The mom-of-three has gotten a ton of support from her former Jersey Shore clan including Jenni Farley, Sammi ‘Sweetheart’ Giancola, Deena Cortese, and Mike ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino’s wife, Lauren
‘See, I knew I was going to get emotional!’ she wailed.
‘Obviously I’m done having kids but, as a woman, the thought of getting a hysterectomy is just sad and scary,’ Polizzi said.
‘Getting the hysterectomy and then not being able to have kids, I think that’s what’s killing me. But whatever to keep me healthy and safe to be here for my kids that I have now,’ she insisted.
After Polizzi shared the emotional video, she was quickly flooded with support from her former Jersey Shore castmates, who rallied around the mother-of-three in the comments.
‘I love you so much you got this,’ Jenni Farley encouraged her friend.
‘Love you! You got this,’ Sammi ‘Sweetheart’ Giancola wrote.
‘Love you, we’re all here for you,’ Deena Cortese added.
‘Nicole, wish I could hug you through the phone, thank you for sharing and I’m sending you much love and prayer,’ Lauren Sorrentino, wife of Mike ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino, said.
