‘Outer Banks’ star can’t stop giggling as Pauly D surprises him with video
Drew Starkey has been open about his love for Jersey Shore, so getting a personalized video from Paul “Pauly D” DelVecchio is a pretty big deal.
On the Thursday, July 30, episode of the Today show, Starkey told anchor Craig Melvin that Pauly D is the Jersey Shore star he’d most want to hang out with.
Melvin then shared that the reality star heard Starkey was a fan and had recorded a message just for him.
Pauly D’s message to Drew Starkey
“No, he did not,” Starkey said, clearly thrilled by the surprise. His eyes even appeared to tear up as he took in the news.
“Yo, what’s up? It’s your boy DJ Pauly D, and this message is for my man Drew Starkey. What’s up, my dude,” Pauly D said in the clip. “Just heard you were a fan. Well, guess what? I am a fan of you as well.”
Starkey couldn’t stop giggling as he watched the video in disbelief.
‘That’s wild’
“I know you live by that gym, tan and laundry lifestyle — just like me,” Pauly D continued. “I’ve seen you on Outer Banks and I can’t wait to watch the new season. Appreciate the love. Appreciate the support.”
He signed off with his signature “Yeah, buddy!” before ending the video.
“That’s crazy,” Starkey said, throwing his hands up in the air. “GTL, baby. T-shirt time. DJ Pauly D. That’s wild.”
Love for ‘Jersey Shore’
After the surprise, Starkey told Melvin that Today really “makes dreams come true.” He was still grinning as he talked about how “cool” it was that Pauly D supports Outer Banks.
Starkey has spoken about his love for Jersey Shore for years, including in a 2024 GQ interview in which he called the show “the peak of American culture.”
“I f****** love Jersey Shore,” he said at the time. “It’s all performative anyway. It’s like you’re not actually watching people — they’re leaning into a character, and I think they’re brilliant at it. They understand their role and they play it really well.”
Die-hard ‘Jersey Shore’ girl
In a 2025 interview with W Magazine, Starkey called himself a “die-hard Jersey Shore girl” while giving shoutouts to Pauly D and Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi.
“It’s my favorite. I’ll go back and watch the OG seasons,” he said. “But Jersey Shore was such a formative time. I think it came out the summer of my sophomore year of high school. It’s the best.”
Starkey kept the Jersey Shore love going after Pauly D’s video aired, appearing on the Today show Instagram account to sing the DJ’s “It’s T-shirt time” jingle.
“My friends and I were screaming ‘T-shirt time’ all summer when that came out,” he said in the clip.