One of the founding members of prank present Impractical Jokers, Joe Gatto, launched an announcement after a girl accused him of sexual assault in a TikTok video, noting that he has “used poor judgement” however “wouldn’t assault anyone.”
The TikTok person, who posted underneath the title joozyb, stated she met Gatto in 2023, and stated she started texting Gatto after assembly him in a restaurant within the hopes of getting a free ticket to a dwell comedy present, in line with PEOPLE.
Gatto allegedly gave her tickets to the present and the 2, in line with the accuser, continued to change texts after the present. She stated Gatto allegedly invited her to her lodge room, and that she went, at which period “some stuff happened.”
She declined to enter element about what occurred.
“I got sexually assaulted by Joe Gatto, the Impractical Joker,” Joozy claimed in one among her subsequent posts that day.
Gatto, 48, issued an announcement on Saturday denying the allegations.
“I have used poor judgment and as a result have violated the trust of the people I love most,” Gatto stated within the assertion 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 comic was one of many founding members of the Impractical Jokers present, which ran on truTV and earned a large fandom. He started on the present in 2011 and appeared in additional than 240 episodes as properly at a film model of the present.
He finally left the prank present in 2021.
At the time of his departure, Gatto cited “issues in my personal life” and introduced he and his spouse, Bessy, had been splitting up.
“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 spouse obtained again collectively in 2023.
At the time, Gatto’s forged mates issued an announcement saying they “by no means 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 continues to be on the air and is in its eleventh season, now airing on TBS.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/impractical-jokers-joe-gatto-sexual-assault-responds-b2719980.html