Joe Gatto, one of the founding members of prank show Impractical Jokers, has released a statement after a woman accused him of sexual assault in a TikTok. The comedian said he had “used poor judgement” in the past but “wouldn’t assault anyone”.
The TikTok user, who posted under the name joozyb, said she met Gatto in Milwaukee in 2023, when she was 19. She claimed that she began texting him after approaching him in a restaurant in the hopes of getting a free ticket to his show.
Gatto allegedly gave her a pair of tickets and the two, according to the accuser, continued to exchange texts after his gig. She claimed that he eventually invited her to her hotel room, and that she went, at which time “some stuff happened.”
She declined to go into detail about what occurred, but shared screenshots purportedly showing exchanges with the comedian, as well as a bruise that she claimed he gave her.
“I got sexually assaulted by Joe Gatto, the Impractical Joker,” Joozy claimed in one of her subsequent posts that day. The main post about her allegations has received more than eight million views.
Gatto, 48, issued a statement on Saturday (22 March) denying the allegations.
“I have used poor judgment and as a result have violated the trust of the people I love most,” Gatto said in the statement reported by Variety. “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.”
The comedian was one of the founding members of the Impractical Jokers show, which ran on truTV and earned a sizeable fandom. He began on the show in 2011 and appeared in more than 240 episodes as well at a movie version of the show.
He eventually left the prank show in 2021.
At the time of his departure, Gatto cited “issues in my personal life” and announced he and his wife, Bessy, were splitting up.
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“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,’” Gatto wrote in an Instagram post in 2021.
“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.”
Gatto and his wife got back together in 2023.
At the time, Gatto’s cast mates issued a statement saying they “never imagined making Impractical Jokers” without Gatto on the show.
“We want to keep making people laugh, keep our relationship with the Impractical Jokers fans going, and keep working with the members of our team we consider family,” the group wrote in response to Gatto’s leaving.
Impractical Jokers is still on the air and is in its 11th season, now airing on TBS.
