Joe Gatto, the former star of Impractical Jokers, responded publicly after a woman shared a sexual assault accusation against the 48-year-old comedian on TikTok Thursday.
In a statement to Page Six, Gatto addressed the allegation, saying, “I have used poor judgment and as a result have violated the trust of the people I love most. But anyone who knows me at all knows full well that I wouldn’t assault anyone. Working on myself is an ongoing process, and I am now going to take some time away from the public eye to focus my energies where I need to.”
A TikTok user named @joozyb levied allegations against Gatto in a video published on Friday (March 21). “I got sexually assaulted by Joe Gatto, the ‘Impractical Joker,’” said the woman.
She further stated that the alleged assault occurred in September 2023 in Milwaukee, shortly after Gatto and his wife had recently reconciled. While the TikTok user did not go into specifics about the alleged incident, she mentioned that “some stuff happened.”
In a follow-up video, she shared two screenshots of direct messages that she and Gatto allegedly exchanged. According to the woman, Gatto told her he would leave “two meet and greet passes” for her at the box office, and the two are said to have continued talking after the event.
“I was drunk, whatever, and he was texting me all this stuff. And, like, it was starting to get a little weird, you know,” she explained in her video. She also claimed that Gatto put the messages, which seemed to be from Instagram, into vanish mode.
“I’ve been wanting to tell people this for so long,” she said, wrapping up the video. “I’ve, like, tried in different ways, but it’s hard with somebody this big. [I’ve] come to the realization that if I do say something, that I’m really saying something.”
Gatto was one of the original members of truTV’s popular prank series Impractical Jokers, where he starred alongside James Murray, Brian Quinn, and Sal Vulcano. Beginning in 2011, Gatto appeared in 244 episodes and the film Impractical Jokers: The Movie before leaving the show in 2021.
In an Instagram post at the time, Gatto explained his departure, saying, “Sorry in advance for the long and more-serious-than-usual note below, I just wanted to let you all know that I will no longer be involved with ‘Impractical Jokers.’ Alongside my friends, I’ve devoted a decade of my life to building this franchise and couldn’t be prouder of what has been accomplished. However, due to some issues in my personal life, I have to step away. Bessy and I have decided to amicably part ways, so now I need to focus on being the best father and co-parent to our two incredible kids.”
Currently, Impractical Jokers is in its 11th season on TBS, and in Gatto’s absence, comedians like Eric André have filled the vacant fourth cast spot.
