Jenni "JWoww" Farley is thrilled to be fist-pumping her way into her family's newest chapter. Nearly seven years after the "Jersey Shore: Family Vacation" star revealed that her son Greyson had been diagnosed with autism, she offered an intimate glimpse into the 9-year-old's remarkable journey. "He's crushing it," Jenni told E! News exclusively in a joint interview with co-star Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi. "He's just so perfect. Don't get me wrong—he's still a handful, and he still has his moments. But he's living proof of the power of early intervention, top-notch schooling, and the incredible support from all his aides."
Put simply, the reality TV star—who shares Greyson and 11-year-old daughter Meilani with ex-husband Roger Mathews—said, "Without them, I honestly don't know where he'd be today."
So, what's Greyson been up to lately? Alongside being "at the top of his class," he's been sprinting across soccer fields and grappling on jiu-jitsu mats. In fact, Jenni, 40, revealed that her son reached another major milestone by starting to wear contact lenses—something she stressed is "huge" for his age. "He said he wanted to try them so he could perform better in sports because his glasses were holding him back," she explained. "Once he sets his mind on something he wants to achieve, there's no stopping him."
As Jenni focuses on Greyson's incredible progress, she admitted that planning her wedding to Zack Clayton—who proposed to her in February 2021—isn't exactly at the top of her priority list. "To me, we're already married," she said. "He's my life partner. We're going to spend forever together. I don't see marriage as something that needs to be this big, monumental thing because, like I always say, 'Don’t fix what isn’t broken.' We’re just perfect as we are."
Jenni—who split from Roger in 2018 after eight years together—also noted that marriage feels different this time around. "When you enter a relationship after being married, especially when you have kids who aren’t biologically his and we don’t share joint bank accounts," she explained, "your perspective on marriage just shifts."
"Whether we ever officially tie the knot or not doesn’t change a thing about our love," she continued. "Our love is just there, unwavering."
That said, she does plan to throw a celebration eventually—mostly at the insistence of her best friend Nicole and Zack’s mother.
As Jenni and Zack, 30, slowly edge closer to walking down the aisle, fans will get a front-row seat on "Family Vacation." After all, the revival goes far beyond the iconic beach house from the original series. "Now, we’re including our families, going on vacations together, and giving viewers a peek into our home lives," she noted. "It lets the audience grow right alongside us."
And Season Eight is no exception, offering viewers an inside look at the lives of Jenni, Nicole, DJ Pauly D, Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino, Vinny Guadagnino, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, Sammi "Sweetheart" Giancola, Deena Cortese, and Angelina Pivarnick. When it comes to the Season Finale premiering September 11, Nicole shared that the gang’s 15th-anniversary celebration in Seaside Heights will be "a heartfelt walk down memory lane."
