Joe Gatto has canceled his comedy tour and is in search of remedy amid allegations of inappropriate conduct.
After the Impractical Jokers alum was accused of misconduct by a younger fan and a former worker, Gatto introduced that he’s placing himself into an inpatient program, along with reportedly slicing his tour quick.
“Having taken some time to reflect, l’ve decided to voluntarily enter an inpatient program to continue working on myself,” he mentioned in an announcement shared with People. “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.”
A TikTok consumer who goes by joozyb beforehand accused the comic of sexually assaulting her when she was 19, claiming the incident occurred at a Milwaukee lodge after seeing certainly one of his exhibits in September 2023.
“I got sexually assaulted by Joe Gatto, the Impractical Joker,” she mentioned in a video posted final Thursday, noting that she’s been sharing concerning the expertise with Gatto “for over a year” and didn’t count on it to all of the sudden go viral.
Gatto then denied the accusation in an announcement shared with Deadline. “I have used poor judgment and as a result have violated the trust of the people I love most,” he mentioned. “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.”
On Sunday, Gatto’s rep referred People to the identical assertion after a second accuser, who reportedly labored for Gatto throughout his time on Impractical Jokers, claimed he sexually harassed her.
The girl, who was not named, mentioned she met Gatto at certainly one of his exhibits when she was 15, and his conduct reportedly grew to become extra flirtatious when she turned 18. While working for him after faculty, she mentioned Gatto inappropriately grabbed her, requested for again massages and as soon as invited her to his lodge room to cuddle, along with ceaselessly asking about her intercourse life.
Along along with his Tenderloins comedy troupe—Sal Vulcano, James Murray and Brian Quinn—Gatto starred on the TruTV hidden digicam collection Impractical Jokers from 2011 to 2021.
If you or somebody you understand has been sexually assaulted, assist is obtainable through RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673) and their on-line chat hotline.