DJ Pauly D has returned to MTV for a 2018 reboot of Jersey Shore. And, after the original edition of the show, Pauly D became a father. In 2013, Amanda Markert was identified as the mother of DJ Pauly D’s daughter, Amabella, and she is a New Jersey native, though she met Pauly D in Las Vegas, Nevada, where Pauly D resides. When news of Pauly D’s love child broke and of Markert’s being the mother of his baby, one of her friends, David Jordan, wanted to set the record straight about her, telling Heavy that, “She’s the type of person that, when she’s around, everything just seems better. She’s a great and loving friend.” Get to know more about Markert, her children, and Pauly D’s relationship with the mother of his only daughter.
1. Markert Has a Son From a Previous Relationship
Prior to having daughter Amabella, Markert already had a son named Mikey, from a previous relationship. Markert posts tons of photos of her kids all over her Instagram account. As for Pauly D, there aren’t really any photos of Amabella on his Instagram account. His photos mainly consist of mirror pics, Jersey Shore throwbacks and photos of his DJ’ing at events.
Former Jersey Shore co-star Angelina Pivarnick weighed in on Pauly D keeping his daughter away from his social media, telling Life and Style, “That’s just something I don’t get. I know that if I ha two did not know each other prior d a daughter, I’d be posting left and right about her. It just boggles my mind … I wonder what she looks like, you know what I mean? Because there’s like no pictures of her … If I had a baby with a guy and even if we’re not together, I’d want the guy to be in the kid’s life.” Perhaps he just wants to keep the life he has with his child private.
When Pauly D’s cast members first found out about his baby, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi said, “[I haven’t met his daughter] yet. It’s just hard because his daughter lives with her mother … she doesn’t live near us, so anytime Pauly has the daughter they’re at his house and Pauly lives in Vegas, which is hard! I’m like, ‘Pauly, bring the baby to Jersey and we can have a play date all together!’ It hasn’t happened yet, but he said he’s down to do it, we’re just waiting and seeing when we can do that.” In interviews and promos for the new season, it appears that his cast members have gotten to meet his little one. Markert’s nickname for Amabella is “Ammabear”.
2. She and Pauly D Had a One-Night Stand In Las Vegas
Pauly D and Markert had a one-night stand in Las Vegas and Hollywood Life reported that the two did not know each other before that night. Over the years, DJ Pauly D’s many one-night stands were documented on Jersey Shore.
On the original Jersey Shore show, Pauly D and some of his roommates on the show, made it their missions to search for girls who were “DTF” (down to f*ck), each night that they headed out to night clubs. He and the other guys got themselves into interesting situations, but none of the sexual encounters reportedly resulted in a pregnancy. Pauly D did, however, have one girl steal his diamond chain necklace, only to return it the next day.
For the new reboot, Pauly D is the only single person in the house. Each of his cast members are either dating someone or are married. Some, like Polizzi and Jenni “JWoww” Farley, even have children. Polizzi was pregnant with her first child on the final season of the original Jersey Shore show.
3. Pauly D and Markert Were Previously In a Custody Battle
When baby Amabella was only 5 months old, Markert and Pauly D were involved in a custody battle. As far as the custody battle started off, TMZ reported that Pauly D wanted a Nevada judge to handle the case, while Markert wanted a New Jersey judge to rule. A TMZ reporter stated that, “Nevada judges are more likely to give the father custodial rights than Jersey jurists. In Nevada, there’s a presumption that both parents should get joint custody. There is no such presumption in Jersey. Now as we reported, Pauly wants FULL custody, but having joint custody as a fall back is better than nothing.”
Because Pauly D lives in Vegas, it would have been much easier for him to attend court hearings if they were held in Nevada, rather than New Jersey. On an interesting note, if the case had been handled in Nevada, Pauly D would have actually ended up paying more in child support. Perhaps that wasn’t Pauly D’s main focus at the time. Ultimately, Markert reportedly wanted to co-parent and didn’t want to go through an ugly custody battle.
In 2014, Markert and Pauly D had worked out a temporary visitation agreement, according to Hollywood Life. The agreement allowed Pauly D to spend entire weekends with his daughter Amabella, and without the supervision of her mother, Markert. Whatever their arrangement may be today, Markert appears to be the full-time guardian.
4. Markert Was Rumored to Have Told Another Man He Was the Father of Amabella
According to The Daily Mail, Markert reportedly told her live-in boyfriend at the time, Donn Barbitta, that he was the biological father of Amabella. According to Radar Online, the former couple were living together in Egg Harbor, New Jersey when Barbitta found out the truth and reportedly called off the relationship. A DNA test proved Pauly D was the real father.
Amanda Markert was previously a Hooters waitress, but she also studied Forensic Psychology at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey and attended Atlantic Cape Community College after graduating from Absegami High School. A few years ago, Markert was a waitress for VIP Bottle Service at The Pool After Dark at Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City. She was also good friends with a lot of club promoters in Atlantic City. Pauly D previously had a residency at Harrah’s The Pool After Dark. Working in Atlantic City in the VIP areas can have its perks, like meeting a lot of celebrities, who host events or are hanging out with friends. Pauly D certainly isn’t the only star that Markert has had the pleasure to meet while working in VIP.
In 2013, TMZ reported that Markert was trying to sell text messages from father Pauly D that urged her to get an abortion when he found out about the pregnancy. This has not been confirmed by Markert or Pauly D. At the time of these reports, Pauly D was asked by TMZ if he thought Markert was using their daughter for fame and his response was, “A hundred per cent, unfortunately. That’s what happens. What are you going to do?”
5. Pauly D’s Ex Aubrey O’Day Is the Only Girlfriend Who Ever Met Markert’s Daughter
In 2017, Pauly D ended his long-term relationship with singer Aubrey O’Day, who has also been in the media for an alleged affair with Donald Trump Jr. While the two were dating, Pauly D said that his relationship with O’Day was so serious, she was the only woman he ever let meet his daughter. Pauly D explained to Too Fab, “[It was a] huge deal for me, that’s how you know I’m really taking it seriously. If she meets my mothers and my daughter, the two main women in my life … no one has ever met my daughter yet, she was the first one to meet her. That’s what I was looking for, so I’m really glad I went on the show to meet her.” O’Day and Pauly D first met while filming the reality show Famously Single.
In O’Day’s song “DJT”, she reportedly details an alleged affair with Trump Jr., according to TMZ. The NY Post has reported that O’Day and Trump reportedly carried on an affair in 2011, when O’Day was a contestant on Donald Trump Sr.’s show The Celebrity Apprentice. During the season, Trump was an “adviser” on the show and reportedly “fell for” O’Day. Page Six reported that Trump’s estranged wife, Vanessa, was pregnant with their fourth child at the time of the alleged affair. A source also said that Vanessa “was going to leave [Don Jr.] then. That was the start of the downfall [of their marriage].”
Page Six has reported that O’Day and Pauly D have shot Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars together and it premieres in late 2018. Pauly D reportedly breaks up with O’Day on the show. In the above video interview, Pauly D explains that his standards in girlfriends are much higher because of his daughter.
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Amanda Markert, Pauly D’s Daughter’s Mother: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know