Based on his past, one has to take the following with a grain of salt the size of Ronnie Ortiz-Magro's biceps.

But:

This long-time reality star says he's finally, truly, 100% for real this time... all done with ex-girlfriend Jen Harley.

on Thursday's Jersey Shore Family Vacation season premiere, Ronnie admitted that he made a lot of bad decisions in his life... but has since started "to be a better person for myself and Ariana," referring to his two-year-old daughter.

To that end?

Ronnie has moved away from Las Vegas.

He's found a new place in Los Angeles.

As for his past?

Specifically his past with Harley?

"In my mind I always thought I had to have a perfect family to have a relationship with my daughter. I came to the realization I can have a family just with Ariana," he explained.

"I think that turning point was when I realized me and her mother, we're done.

"I realized we're happier without each other than we are with each other."

The two certainly couldn't have been more miserable when they were together.

Both halves of this now-former couple were arrested on differrent occasions for alleged acts of domestic violence.

About a year ago, Ronnie held Harley at knifepoint, grabbed Ariana out of her arms and barrracaded himself inside of a rental home.

The police had to use a taser on him in order to take Ronnie into custody.

That was then, however.

Now?

The reality star said on the aforementioned premiere that can put all that "wasted energy" from his old relationship into his relationship with his daughter and to himself. "

I get to spend all this time with my daughter instead of giving her half of me," he said.

"Which I think is amazing."

Ronnie also dating someone named Saffire Matos.

And it's made him a brand new person!

“We’re so excited and so proud to see this version of Ronnie,” Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino previously told Us Weekly while promoting the new season of Jersey Shore.

“We call it ‘stable Ronnie.' It’s good to see a happy, funny Ronnie on TV because [he’s] tons of fun.”

Vinny Guadagnino also spoke to Us Weekly and echoed what Sorrentino had to say about his longtime costar’s great mood these days.

“I’m happy [that] he’s happy," Guadagnino said.

"That man has definitely turned his life around. And that’s the biggest highlight of this next season is Ronnie was, like, present and there.

"That man showed up. … We’ve seen Ronnie go through a lot of struggles.”