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Taking some time to get the help he needs.
Former Impractical Jokers star Joe Gatto has decided to take some time off and check himself into an inpatient facility in the wake of multiple allegations of sexual assault against the married comedian.
Recently a woman on TikTok came forward and accused the comedian of sexual assault, alleging in a series of videos that Gatto had assaulted her after one of his comedy shows in after inviting her to his hotel room.
The woman claims that she met Gatto while he was performing in Milwaukee back in 2023, shortly after he had gotten back together with his wife. She says that she saw Gatto at a restaurant before the show and asked to take a picture, and messaged him afterwards in hopes of getting tickets to the show.
She shared the messages she exchanged with Gatto, including the start of their conversation which included him offering her meet and greet passes and then some small talk about the photos they took together.
@joozyb This is only the first part – seemed so innocent lmao #storytime #notwhatitseems
The woman claims that after the show, she was drinking with her roommate, who encouraged her to continue messaging Gatto. And she says that Gatto then turns their messages, which are taking place through Instagram, on vanish mode, which means they disappear when someone exits out of the chat.
She says Gatto then sent her instructions to get to his hotel, so she decided to go meet him.
When she got to the hotel, she says somebody led her to the elevator (she admits she was drunk and isn’t sure exactly what happened), and that somebody was on the elevator with her to press the button to get to Gatto’s floor.
She shares photos that she says show her in the elevator on her way to Gatto’s room, as well as a video leaving the hotel at 2:26 AM, which she says is when she left and is timestamped from the morning after his show in Milwaukee.
Without going into much detail, the woman says that “some stuff happened,” and she says that she doesn’t “want any girl to feel like that.”
@joozyb I just want people to listen- play in x2 or skip to half way #awareness #sa #celebrity #impracticaljokers #joegatto
In a separate video, the woman shares a photo that she says shows a bruise Gatto left on her butt, which she claims he did with his teeth. In the caption, she addresses those who are questioning her story, saying that “yes he did [sexually assault] me.”
The comments on her videos were divided, with many supporting her while others accused her of drunkenly hooking up with a celebrity and then regretting it.
After the initial allegations, a second woman came forward alleging that Gatto had made inappropriate comments and sexual advances towards her while she was working for him prior to his departure from Impractical Jokers.
And in a statement to Page Six this weekend, Gatto admitted to having used “poor judgment” in the past, but says anyone who knows him knows that he would never sexually assault someone. And he also says that he’s going to step back from the spotlight to continue to work on himself and his family:
“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. 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.”
While it wasn’t initially clear what that meant, Gatto confirmed today that he would be seeking professional help.
In a statement to People, the comedian thanked his friends and family for the support while announcing that he would be checking himself into an inpatient program:
“Having taken some time to reflect, I’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, who has been outspoken in the past about not drinking alcohol, has two children with his wife Bessy, who he separated from in 2021 when he announced that he would be leaving Impractical Jokers.
But the two later reconciled, and the comedian has kept a busy schedule with his own comedy tours over the past couple years – although People confirmed that his remaining tour dates would be canceled as Gatto sought treatment.
The post Former ‘Impractical Jokers’ Star Joe Gatto Cancels Tour, Enters Inpatient Treatment Following Sexual Assault Allegations first appeared on Whiskey Riff.