Joe Gatto, the Impractical Jokers star, announced that he had checked himself into a rehab facility and that he was taking time to “work on himself” in response to the claims, which he has denied.
Joe Gatto, the Impractical Jokers star, was charged with two counts of sexual harassment and two counts of sexual assault and has canceled his upcoming tour. The 48-year-old comedian and actor rose to fame on the comedy show, which pits four friends against one another to do absurd things.
The comic, who has denied the allegations against him, later made a statement in which he claimed he had voluntarily entered an inpatient facility “to continue working on himself” after the allegations went viral on TikTok over the weekend.
It comes after a TikTok user claimed Gatto sexually assaulted her at the age of 19. Millions of people watched her March 20 post, which was titled “I got sexually assaulted by Joe Gatto, the Impractical Joker,” and it has since been deleted.
The woman claimed she and him had met in Milwaukee in 2023 and that she had contacted him in a restaurant in hopes of receiving a free ticket to his performance. She claimed that they kept texting each other until they eventually met. Following the alleged sexual assault incident, she claimed she had a mark on her back.
Another woman who previously worked with Gatto on Impractical Jokers claimed the TV star had grabbed her inappropriately two days later. When she began working there, she claimed that other employees had warned her that Gatto could be “handy” and that they would make inappropriate jokes. He is said to also request cuddles and back massages.
In response to the claims that Gatto used poor judgment and, as a result, had harmed the lives of the people I love most, a comic’s spokesperson responded in a statement. However, anyone who has ever met me knows that I wouldn’t physically assault anyone. I’m going to take some time away from the public eye to concentrate on what I need to do because working on myself is a process that goes on forever.
In another statement to PEOPLE magazine today, a source close to Gatto confirmed he would be cancelling his upcoming tour. He also said: “Having taken some time to reflect, l’ve decided to voluntarily enter an inpatient program to continue working on myself. I just want to thank my friends, fans and especially my family for all of their support — never more so than over the last few days.”
Gatto joined James Murray, Sal Vulcano, and Brian Q Quinn as one-fourth of the Impractical Jokers cast. Since its launch in 2011, the show has enjoyed a massive global success, but Gatto left in 2021.
He wrote on Instagram at the time that he was a “dedicated ten years of my life to building this franchise” along with his friends. However, I have to step aside due to some personal issues.
“Bessy]his ex-wife and I have already made the decision to end our relationship, so I need to concentrate on being the best parent and co-parent to our two amazing children.” He continued, “I am very thankful to have worked with each and every one of his co-stars,” thanked them. The Mirror has reached out to discuss this story further.
Source: Mirror
Leave a Reply