‘Impractical Jokers’ star Joe Gatto admits to “poor judgement” but denies sexual assault allegation

Posted On March 24, 2025March 24, 2025

Impractical Jokers comedian Joe Gatto has denied a sexual assault allegation which recently surfaced on TikTok while admitting to previously making “poor judgement”.

An account on TikTok with the username joozyb claimed to have met Gatto in 2023 when he was performing in Milwaukee. At the time, she is alleged to have been 19 and met Gatto in a restaurant before the show where she approached him with the hope of securing free tickets to watch his show.

Joozyb says they then began to contact one another after Gatto allegedly gave her two free tickets to his performance. After the show, she went to his hotel room following an invitation. While the TikTok account didn’t go into extensive detail, she did say that “some stuff happened.”

The account then continued to share more posts, including one which read, “I was sexually assaulted by Joe Gatto, the Impractical Joker“.

Joozyb also shared a series of screenshots containing messages that appear to be from Gatto’s Instagram account, as well as a picture of a bruise on her body that she alleged came from the comedian.

Her posts on TikTok garnered over a million views, and subsequently, Gatto issued a statement on March 22nd denying any wrongdoing.

In a statement, reported by Variety, Gatto said: “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.”

The comedian added: “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.”

Gatto previously announced his departure from Impractical Jokers in 2021 after starring in 240 episodes of the hit programme.

At the time of leaving the show, Gatto revealed it was due to personal reasons, sharing with fans, “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.”

For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.

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