October 25, 2018, 4:34 PM ET
'Jersey Shore' Star Ronnie Ortiz-Magro Posts Photo Of Black Eye, Seemingly Hinting Abuse
Ortiz-Magro tagged the mother of his child, Jen Harley, in the photo of his injury.
By Sharon Lynn Pruitt
Reality TV star Ronnie Ortiz-Magro posted a shocking photo of a black eye on social media this week, suggesting in the caption that he may be the victim of domestic violence.
The 32-year-old "Jersey Shore" alum posted a revealing shot of his bruised eye and cheek in an Instagram Story on Wednesday, People reports. He did not elaborate on the source of his injury or state when it occurred, instead apologizing in the caption for "lying" to his loved ones to "protect" someone else.
"Sorry for lying to my friends and family, sometimes u love people so much your willing to lie and the hurt the people that love u the most to protect. @JenX Kidddddddddddd," his caption read, according to People.
Ortiz-Magro also tagged his on again/off again girlfriend Jen Harley, with whom he shares a young daughter. Michael Cristalli, a representative for Harley, told People that they are unaware of "when that photo was taken or how the injury occurred."
Harley addressed the photo in the comments section of her Instagram page, implying that Ortiz-Magro has a drug problem and accusing him of lying, according to screenshots of her private page obtained by E! News.
"I don't post my sh*t on IG lol. He's lying," Harley wrote in response to a fan's comment, according to the outlet. "I'll prove it again with the car thing I can't deal with a drug addict anymore it's getting so out of control."
Ortiz-Magro and Harley's explosive relationship has been filled with violent incidents and public fights, some of which have been discussed in episodes of MTV's "Jersey Shore Family Vacation." Harley was arrested in June after allegedly dragging Ortiz-Magro with her car while driving away during an argument that allegedly turned violent. Their infant daughter was reportedly in the backseat of the car during the dragging, and Ortiz-Magro suffered road rash from the ordeal. After being charged with domestic battery, Harley ultimately dodged legal consequences when prosecutors dropped the case, citing "insufficient evidence," People reports.
The couple got into a violent fight in Las Vegas that same month; though police concluded that Harley was the "aggressor," Ortiz-Magro ultimately decided not to pursue charges against the mother of his child, E! News reports.
In addition to physical confrontations, the couple has also been known to get into vicious fights over social media. Ortiz-Magro published a series of posts insulting Harley in April, less than one month after their daughter, Ariana Sky, was born, according to E! News.
"Note to self, can't turn a natural born HOE, into a HOUSEWIFE, if you find them in the gutter then leave them in the gutter," he wrote on Instagram, prompting Harley to share an Instagram Story of her own reading, "You can't turn a coke head into a father."
Ortiz-Magro later publicly apologized for what happened, E! News reports.
[Photo: Getty Images]
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