Paul 'DJ Pauly D' DelVecchio is a proud girl dad.
The Jersey Shore: Family Vacation star welcomed his only child, daughter Amabella Sophia, with Amanda Markert in May 2013. While appearing on the reality TV show Double Shot At Love, DelVecchio said that becoming a father and having his daughter was “one of the most amazing experiences” of his life.
“It’s the first time I ever loved something and somebody more than I love myself,” he added. “That girl is my everything and there’s two most important ladies in my life: my mother, and my daughter.”
Since becoming a father, DelVecchio said that he has become even more selective about his romantic relationships. He told Entertainment Tonight, “Now, I’m even more picky when I pick women to actually meet her or my mother — only certain ones will meet them. I put my standards up a lot higher now.”
While DelVecchio has maintained his daughter’s privacy, he has shared a few details about Amabella over the years, including her penchant for mischief, music and her glaring similarities to her father.
Here's everything to know about Pauly D’s daughter, Amabella.
She was born in 2013
Markert gave birth to Amabella on May 15, 2013.
DelVecchio announced the arrival of his daughter months later in October, with representatives for the DJ confirming the news to PEOPLE. In a statement, DelVecchio said at the time, “I’m proud I’m a father. I am excited to embark on this new part of my life."
On Twitter, now known as X, the reality TV star shared some words of wisdom about becoming a father, writing, “Sometimes in life things aren't planned and they may even scare you at first, but they end up being a blessing.”
“That is how I feel about having a daughter, I am looking forward to being a parent to her,” he added in a statement.
Pauly D’s Jersey Shore castmates praised him as a father
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Following the news that DelVecchio was a father, several of his fellow castmates from Jersey Shore reacted to the news with positive sentiments for the new dad.
"I'm so happy for Pauly," Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi told E! News. "Definitely a shock to all of us, but we know Pauly the best and he's going to be an amazing father. He's so loving and caring. I can't wait for Lorenzo and her to play!"
Meanwhile, Jenni “JWoww” Farley told the outlet, “I'm so f------ happy for him I just texted him. Crying! He's going to be the best dad ever!"
Sammi "Sweetheart" Giancola also weighed in on her former costar’s news, telling E! News, "I couldn't be more happy for Pauly! He is going to be such a wonderful dad! This new little girl is so lucky to have the coolest father around!"
Pauly D says Amabella is the “best thing” that’s happened to him
DelVecchio had a heart-to-heart with Ronnie Ortiz-Magro about being a father during a May 2018 episode of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation. At the time, Ortiz-Magro’s on-again, off-again girlfriend, Jen Harley, was seven months pregnant with their daughter, Ariana Sky.
“There’s no actual way you can prepare for what’s going to happen, but it’ll change your life,” DelVecchio told his costar. “I swear, I never thought in my life I would ever love something more than I love myself. Dead honest, I mean that. People say it, but no, I mean that. Everything I do, I do it for her.”
He also reflected on his early “rocky” relationship with Amabella’s mother, explaining, “Mine was so rocky in the beginning, it was nuts, but we got over it and now this is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Pauly D spoils his daughter
Since the end of the original Jersey Shore in 2012, DelVecchio has made a name for himself as a DJ, performing in his home base of Las Vegas and touring around the world. He’s treated himself to plenty of luxury goods throughout the years, but his generosity has expanded to his daughter, too.
He told PEOPLE in April 2018 that he loves to surprise his daughter with gifts, explaining, “My daughter is Daddy’s little girl.”
“She gets whatever she wants, but remarkably does not act spoiled!” he added. “She has a matching toy Lamborghini truck, a Mercedes Benz G63 toy truck and her own turntables!”
She wants to be a DJ
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DelVecchio has said on several occasions that Amabella is his “little mini-me,” which includes their shared love of music. He told PEOPLE in April 2018 that his daughter wants to follow in his footsteps with her future career and that he’s tried to foster her interest in music and being a DJ.
“I got her a DJ room,” he explained. “She’s scratching records already. She’s so funny. She just wants to follow me around and do every single thing that I do.”
When Amabella was 5, he told Ryan Seacrest and Kelly Ripa on Live with Kelly and Ryan that he already had his “mini-me” on the turntables. He added, “I look at her and I see myself, the way she acts and everything.”
She pranks her dad
DelVecchio has a jokester on his hands.
The reality TV star told reporters in August 2018 that his daughter’s “mini-me” tendencies included her dad’s sense of humor.
“She does pranks on me,” he explained. “She hid my phone, and she’ll keep the prank going for like an hour…I see all my traits in her. She’s running around, she’s going to be a prank champion already. She knows everything already, she’s smart.”
Pauly D introduced Amabella to his girlfriend
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DelVecchio took a major step forward with his girlfriend, Nikki Hall, when he introduced her to his daughter. He opened up to PEOPLE in August 2023 about the moment, calling it the “biggest milestone” of their relationship so far. He added, "Big milestone. Yeah and they love each other, so I'm happy.”
When asked about Hall’s first meeting with Amabella, he said it “was great,” adding, “They were both nervous, which is so funny, but I told them they have nothing to be nervous about."
"And I told Nikki, I was like, 'She's just a mini-me,' ” he explained. “And I told Amabella the same thing, 'Nikki's great.' And now they FaceTime every five minutes."
She had a purple themed 10th birthday
Amabella celebrated her 10th birthday in May 2023. While Pauly D does not share photos of his daughter on social media, her mom documented the celebration in a post on Instagram. Amabella’s party theme included plenty of purple, with the birthday girl and her guests all donning the shade head to toe.
In one snap from the party, DelVecchio posed alongside Amabella, donning a purple floral shirt while he held a cut-out of a photo of her head glued to a popsicle stick.
