He’ll Always Be a Party Boy, But ‘Jersey Shore’ Star DJ Pauly D Has Matured So Much Over the Years

He may have matured over the years, but DJ Pauly D (real name: Paul D. DelVecchio Jr.) will always be our favorite party boy. Ever since we first met the Jersey Shore alum back in 2009, we’ve had major love for Pauly. But these days his life isn’t all just about his GTL routine — he’s added some new priorities into the mix.

In 2013, Pauly became a father when a woman named Amanda Market got pregnant after they shared a one-night stand. She later gave birth to a daughter named Amabella Sophia. A few months after the little girl was born, Amanda reached out to the MTV star to let him know he was a dad.

Tea Party With My Princess pic.twitter.com/rFr9phQCZe

— DJ Pauly D (@DJPaulyD) January 31, 2014

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In January 2014, the daddy-daughter duo made their social media debut when Pauly revealed they were bonding over a game of pretend. “Tea party with my princess,” he captioned a photo via Twitter of Amabella as they played with a set of plastic cups and treats. The Jersey Shore: Family Vacation star seems to mainly keep his daughter out of the public eye, but he does take the opportunity to gush about her every now and then.

“She is my mini-me. I look at her, and I see myself — the way she acts and everything,” he said on Live With Kelly and Ryan in April 2019. “She is a prank war champion, too. She pranks me, she hides my phone.”

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A post shared by DJ Pauly D (@djpaulyd)

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She even wants to follow in his footsteps and become a DJ when she grows up. “She knows I’m a DJ, she knows I have these huge crowds, and I am a big influence and she knows what an influencer is, she calls me famous when I go to the airport … people yell my name and she sees that,” he told Us Weekly in May 2019. “She is already aware and then so I tell her that I use that for good, to bring awareness to [important causes].”

While fans watched Pauly explore dating during his wild single days, he’s been in a relationship with Nikki Hall since October 2020. She has won over his Jersey Shore costars, including Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino.

“I think that Nikki and Pauly are definitely living their best life,” Mike exclusively told In Touch in June 2022. “I can tell you that I think this year, that someone’s gonna get down on one knee.”

Not everything has changed, though. Pauly is still spinning sets and drawing huge crowds everywhere he goes. He’s also made a point of hitting the gym in his spare time, showing off his workout selfies and videos on Instagram. He’s come so far over the years, but he’s still the same DJ Pauly D we know and love. Check out the gallery below to see his full transformation.