Joe Gatto has issued a response after a lady accused the Impractical Jokers alum of sexually assaulting her.
“I’ve used poor judgment and in consequence have violated the belief of the folks I really like most,” stated Gatto in an announcement to a number of retailers. “However anybody who is aware of me in any respect is aware of full nicely that I wouldn’t assault anybody. Engaged on myself is an ongoing course of, and I’m now going to take a while away from the general public eye to focus my energies the place I have to.”
A TikTok person 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 obtained sexually assaulted by Joe Gatto, the Impractical Joker,” she stated in a video posted on Thursday, noting that she’s been sharing concerning the expertise with Gatto “for over a yr” and didn’t anticipate it to instantly go viral.
Sharing alleged screenshots of their DMs, joozyb stated that after offering meet and greet passes for her, Gatto put the dialog in vanish mode and invited her upstairs to his lodge room.
She additionally shared a photograph of bruises on her backside, claiming Gatto made them “along with his tooth,” including that it occurred after he’d “JUST gotten again collectively along with his spouse.”
“I’ve been wanting to inform folks this for thus lengthy,” she stated. “I’ve tried in numerous methods, nevertheless it’s exhausting with anyone this massive. [I’ve] come to the conclusion that if I do say one thing, that I’m actually saying one thing.”
Alongside along with his Tenderloins comedy troupe—Sal Vulcano, James Murray and Brian Quinn—Gatto starred on the TruTV hidden digicam sequence Impractical Jokers from 2011 to 2021.
When you or somebody you understand has been sexually assaulted, assist is out there by way of RAINN’s Nationwide Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673) and their online chat hotline.
