ET has learned that a controversial scene from MTV's "Jersey Shore," in which cast member Snooki is punched in the face, will not air on the show.

A spokesperson for MTV released the following statement to ET:

"What happened to 'Snooki' was a crime and obviously extremely disturbing. After hearing from our viewers, further consulting with experts on the issue of violence, and seeing how the video footage has been taken out of context to not show the severity of this act or the resulting consequences, MTV has decided not to air Snooki being physically punched in next week's episode. The show will still make it clear what events transpired, including the full aftermath."

Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi told ET last Friday about the attack: "It's really hard for me to watch. The first time I saw it, [I] started hysterically crying. ... It came out of nowhere."

Snooki went on to say, "I think I blacked out for a few seconds because I don't remember getting punched. ... All I remember is being on the floor holding my mouth and being like, 'What just happened?'"

Castmate Jenni "J-WOWW" Farley told ET she was directly behind Snooki at the time of the punch and caught her, recalling, "It was horrifying. My arms, everything was just covered in blood. ... It was a grown man hitting a tiny, tiny girl."

"I don't care what a girl says, you still don't put your hands on her," Paul Delvecchio, also known as DJ Pauly D, told ET.

'Jersey Shore' Cast Reacts to Snooki Getting Punched in the Face Dec 14, 2009 07:02 AM