Joe Gatto, former star of Impractical Jokers, has been accused of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman—allegations he has firmly denied.
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“I got sexually assaulted by Joe Gatto, the Impractical Joker,” TikTok user joozyb said in a post on the platform on March 20.
In a separate TikTok video, she shared the story of meeting Gatto during his performance in Milwaukee in September 2023. She recounted how she, along with her sister and mother, spotted the comedian at a brunch spot. They approached him to request a photo.
Later that day, she revealed she had messaged Gatto, 48, on Instagram. She was hoping for a free ticket to his comedy show. He replied with two tickets and meet-and-greet passes for his Milwaukee show at the Pabst Theater. Gatto performed there on Sept. 8, 2023, per PEOPLE.
Fan Details Alleged Encounter with Joe Gatto: “I’ve Been Wanting to Tell People This for So Long”
After attending the show alone, the TikToker took a photo with him at the event before heading home. Later, while chatting with her roommate over drinks, she began exchanging direct messages with Gatto on Instagram. “I was drunk, whatever, and he was texting me all this stuff. And, like, it was starting to get a little weird, you know,” she shared in her video.
She said Gatto switched their Instagram chat to vanish mode, a feature where messages automatically disappear when the chat ends or the mode is turned off.
She claimed that he told her how to get to his hotel. Once there, she explained, “Somebody led me to the elevator. Somebody was on the elevator with me and pressed the button.”
Although she did not provide specific details about what allegedly transpired between her and Gatto, she claimed that “some stuff happened.” The TikToker showed a photo from the hotel with a timestamp of Sept. 9, 2023, at 2:26 a.m. She claimed this was when she left the hotel.
“I’ve been wanting to tell people this for so long,” she said at the end of the post. “I’ve like, tried in different ways. It’s hard with somebody this big, [I] come to the realization that if I do say something, that I’m really saying something.”
“Yes he did S.A me. yes he had JUST gotten back together with his wife. I’m sorry you guys don’t want to hear it but,” she wrote alongside the photo TikTok.
Joe Gatto Issues Response to Sexual Assault Allegations
Meanwhile, Gatto issued a response to the allegations on March 22.
“I have used poor judgment. As a result have violated the trust of the people I love most,” Gatto said in a statement, via 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.”
Gatto was a founding member of truTV’s wildly popular prank show Impractical Jokers, where he starred alongside James Murray, Brian Quinn, and Sal Vulcano. From the show’s debut in 2011, Gatto appeared in 244 episodes and also starred in Impractical Jokers: The Movie. He remained a fan favorite in the series until his departure in 2021.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.