[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
Impractical Jokers star Joe Gatto has been accused of sexual assault and inappropriate behavior!
Late last week, the reality TV star was called out by a TikToker, who claimed he assaulted her after one of his comedy shows when she was just 19. Shortly after, another woman — an ex-employee whom he first met when she was 15 — also accused him of inappropriate behavior! Oof.
Let’s break it all down… including a response from the comedian!
Related: Gypsy Rose Blanchard Sues True Crime Blogger
The TikToker
The first of the allegations came on Thursday on TikTok by a user named joozyb. She alleged she “got sexually assaulted by Joe Gatto, the Impractical Joker.” In another video, she explained she met the performer while he was in Milwaukee on September 8, 2023.
She was out at brunch with her sister and mother when they spotted the TV star. They asked for pictures and the interaction went well. Later, she messaged him on Instagram saying she bought tickets to his comedy show that night. He said he’d leave her meet-and-greet tickets at the theater. The TikToker ended up attending the show alone and got to meet with Joe again. After, while she was hanging out with her roommate drinking, she messaged Joe some more, she explained:
“I was drunk, whatever, and he was texting me all this stuff. And, like, it was starting to get a little weird, you know.”
In screenshots of their texts, Joe can be seen saying he was “so happy” she “loved” the show and complimenting her for looking “great in the picture” despite crying. When she called him “the star of the picture,” he replied, “Debatable.” He then wished her an “epic” rest of her night, to which she noted she was “drinking” with friends.
@joozyb This is only the first part – seemed so innocent lmao #storytime #notwhatitseems
♬ DIM – Yves
The content creator claims the celeb then switched their convo to vanish mode, which is a setting on the ‘gram that allows users to “send each other disappearing messages, photos, videos and other content in Instagram chats” that will disappear when someone leaves the chat or turns the mode off, according to the platform. A little sus!
She said she was then given instructions to Joe’s hotel and when she got there, “somebody led [her] to the elevator, and somebody was on the elevator with [her] and pressed the button.” She didn’t go into much detail about what happened once she got there — only claiming “some stuff happened.” She said she left the hotel on September 9, 2023, at 2:26 a.m, sharing a photo with a timestamp for proof.
In a follow-up post, she posted a pic of her bruised butt, alleging she got the injury from her time with Joe. She said he did it with his teeth. She captioned the pic:
“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.”
Jeez.
Joe announced his split from his wife Bessy Gatto in December 2021 — at the same time he walked away from Impractical Jokers. They got back together in September 2023 and share two kids.
As for why she’s just speaking out now, the TikToker said in one of her videos:
“I’ve been wanting to tell people this for so long. I’ve, like, tried in different ways, but it’s hard with somebody this big, [I] come to the realization that if I do say something, that I’m really saying something.”
You can listen to her full claims here:
@joozyb I just want people to listen- play in x2 or skip to half way #awareness #sa #celebrity #impracticaljokers #joegatto
♬ original sound – jooz
The Ex-Employee
On Sunday, a second woman spoke out against Joe, claiming he demonstrated inappropriate behavior towards her when she was also a teenager! The woman, who remained anonymous, told People she met the jokester at one of his shows when she was just 15 — and as soon as she turned 18, he allegedly started to get super flirty with her!
The woman was working for Joe prior to his departure from Impractical Jokers in late 2021. Before she started the job after graduating college, one of his previous employees allegedly cautioned her about the role, saying that he could be flirty and handsy. The former staffer alleged he would often tell inappropriate jokes and informed the new hire to shut it down immediately if he ever did anything creepy. Not exactly what you want to hear when you’re starting a job — but the woman quickly realized why she was given the warning!
She said that during her time working for Joe, he would occasionally inappropriately grab her and ask for back massages. He even allegedly once invited her to his room and asked her to cuddle and would make frequent comments about her sex life! What!
She also called out the actor for allegedly responding to her social media posts to tell her she’s “hot” and acting possessive, like getting jealous when she would post pictures of her boyfriend. When she denied his advances and didn’t flirt back, he would be rude to her the next day at work. This all made her feel like she constantly had to work to keep him calm and she feared she would lose her job. She argued this was part of a larger pattern of his emotional manipulation, which continued until she left the job after two years. Oof.
His inappropriate behavior was also displayed on work trips, such as a time he allegedly grabbed her upper thigh while they were in a hotel elevator. She moved away from him while he told her he “knew” he’d make her uncomfortable during the trip. WTF?
On another work getaway, she claims he told his employees to come back to his room for drinks, even though he was publicly sober at the time. While he didn’t drink, he encouraged everyone else to.
The staff member also accused The Misery Index alum of joking about bringing girls up the freight elevator of his office building — which was actually a two-bedroom apartment — so they wouldn’t have to go through the lobby, something that reminded her of the TikToker’s claims. The employee also claimed the 48-year-old would brag about being in an open relationship with his wife — something she now thinks was a lie!
Joe’s Response
In a statement hitting back at the TikToker’s claims, Joe told Page Six on Saturday:
“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.”
He continued:
“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.”
When People reached out on Sunday for comment on the additional allegations, the outlet was referred to the same statement. Wow… Thoughts??
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence and would like to learn more about resources, consider checking out https://www.rainn.org/resources. For more information on violence against women, go to https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-for-survivors
[Image via truTV/YouTube & joozyb/TikTok]
The post TikToker Claims <i>Impractical Jokers</i> Star Joe Gatto Sexually Assaulted Her At 19 — And His Ex-Employee Doubles Down With MORE Allegations! appeared first on Perez Hilton.
