Quality family time! Ronnie Ortiz-Magro and ex-girlfriend Jen Harley put their differences aside and reunited on Sunday, March 24, with their 11-month-old daughter, Ariana Sky, to celebrate a joyous occasion in Texas.
Harley took to her Instagram Stories on Sunday to share a handful of clips of the 33-year-old Jersey Shore star sweetly interacting with their little girl at a party. In one video, Ortiz-Magro can be seen fixing the tot’s dress before playing with her chubby cheeks while the dad-daughter duo basked in the sun.
Despite their tumultuous relationship, Ariana has remained a consistent reason for the two to stay on good terms. “She’s always going to be the mother of my child, at the end of the day,” Ortiz-Magro exclusively told Us Weekly in February about his and Farley’s current status. “All I can do is control myself. I can’t control her.”
The reality star also spoke candidly about his decision seek help and enter rehab for alcohol abuse and depression, revealing it was all because of their daughter.
“If I’m not taking care of myself, I can’t take care of my daughter. I can’t take care of my family. That’s something that I’ve always thrived off of,” Ortiz-Magro explained at the time. “That little girl is like my guardian angel. I say to this day, she saved my life. I think, without her, I don’t think I would’ve taken this step, because what would I have to lose?”
He added: “I’m a father. I’m a role model. I have to remember that. She’s getting older. She’s not getting younger. She’s getting older, and she’s getting smarter and smarter.”
As for whether he’ll be open about his personal struggles when his daughter gets older, Ortiz-Magro told Us he feels “like it’s something that she needs to know.”
“I want us to have that friendship,” the former Famously Single star said. “I want her to be able to come talk to me. Also a reason why I did this [was] because I want to be able to listen to people and be able to not react. I want her to be like, ‘OK, well, I can talk to my father about this. I can tell him this without him getting crazy like most dads do.’ I pray that we do have that bond when she gets older.”
The MTV personality and Harley started dating in July 2017 and welcomed Ariana in April 2018. The two have had their fair shares of ups-and-downs, including allegations of cheating and Harley’s arrest for domestic battery. An incident on New Year’s Eve left Ortiz-Magro with cuts on his face after Harley allegedly threw a glass ashtray at him when they got into an argument at a club. They split days later.
