The next article contains allegations of sexual assault.

Whereas attending highschool collectively in Staten Island, Joe Gatto and buddies Brian “Q” Quinn, James “Murr” Murray, and Sal Vulcano blossomed as pranksters. Amongst their greatest was a stunt they’d dubbed Rice Capades, through which every would disguise a 10-pound bag of rice of their backpacks after which out of the blue dump all of them out concurrently on the ground, inflicting classmates to slide and slide all over. Once they grew older, the 4 joined forces as a comedy troupe referred to as The Tenderloins.

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These childhood pranks laid the groundwork for Gatto and his fellow Tenderloins to create “Impractical Jokers.” Launched in 2011, the TruTV hidden-camera present featured the quartet pulling hilarious pranks on unsuspecting folks — and typically even on one another. The present turned an enormous hit for the cable channel, attracting legions of followers and working for greater than a decade. After the extremely anticipated tenth season of “Impractical Jokers” aired, the present shifted from its unique residence to TBS in 2024. Gatto, nonetheless, had already parted methods with the present, asserting his exit in 2021. Since then, he is centered on constructing a following as a solo comic, whereas the opposite members of the “Impractical Jokers” solid have revealed the place they stood with Gatto after his exit.

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Whereas viewers yukked it up at The Tenderloins’ hilarious antics, they’d no motive to suspect that Gatto was allegedly participating in habits that was removed from humorous. When surprising claims had been made about him in March 2025, the present was hit with shockwaves that led to some critical penalties. To search out out extra, learn on to be taught concerning the darkish aspect of “Impractical Jokers” star Joe Gatto.

One of many many “Impractical Jokers” pranks through which Joe Gatto was concerned was when he and the others performed “obtained your nostril” with strangers on the road. Approaching passersby in entrance of a municipal authorities constructing, Sal Vulcano jumped atop a statue in entrance of the constructing and pretended to seize the nostril of its face. As Gatto revealed whereas showing on “The Bobby Bones Present,” after the episode aired, the present’s manufacturing firm obtained a letter from informing they had been fined for trespassing, as a result of the statue was affixed to a landmark constructing.

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Gatto, nonetheless, noticed a chance to mess with Vulcano, who wasn’t there when the sequence’ showrunner later advised Gatto that the state of affairs had been sorted out. “I used to be like, ‘No we did not … Sal’s in bother,'” Gatto recounted. “So then we began this complete marketing campaign up that Sal was dealing with a $500,000 high-quality and wanted to go to a dissertation, like, to sit down down with a decide.”

This led to a sophisticated, serpentine scheme, all captured by hidden cameras, that concerned establishing a faux trial for Vulcano. Replete with make-believe legal professionals, the entire thing culminating with the set being raided by faux Homeland Safety brokers. It was solely then that the girl pretending to be the decide revealed your complete factor had been one elaborate prank. “It took a few 12 months and two months for it to play out, which was actually, actually enjoyable,” Gatto recalled. Through the prank reveal, they declared it “the longest punishment within the historical past of ‘Impractical Jokers.'”

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Whereas followers might not know a lot concerning the wives of the “Impractical Jokers” stars, in late 2021, Joe Gatto had some information to share about his partner, Bessy Gatto. At the moment, he took to Instagram to disclose a double whammy, revealing he was exiting each “Impractical Jokers” and his marriage. “As a consequence of some points in my private life, I’ve to step away,” he defined, with out providing any particulars concerning the circumstances resulting in the cut up. “Bessy and I’ve determined to amicably half methods, so now I must give attention to being one of the best father and co-parent to our two unbelievable children.”

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Following that announcement, Joe’s estranged spouse shared a message for the world. In a video she posted on TikTok, she posed a query: “What’s that damaged factor in your own home that everybody simply accepts and lives with?” Snuggling with a canine, she held up her hand whereas wanting forlorn.

Joe later revealed that he and his spouse had reconciled, and paid tribute to her in a 2023 Instagram put up celebrating their tenth wedding ceremony anniversary. “Thanks for this decade,” he wrote within the caption. “And I am completely satisfied and hopeful that we can get just a few extra in as a result of we’ve confirmed with compassion, forgiveness and an open coronary heart we are able to do that.” Interviewed in 2025 by the Longview Information Journal, Joe admitted that exiting the present was the catalyst for saving his marriage. “My spouse and I labored it out, which is nice,” he mentioned, explaining that “Impractical Jokers” dominated his life to the purpose that his marriage turned impacted. “I used to be there from the primary joke to the final edit,” he mentioned.

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Shortly after Joe Gatto introduced he was quitting “Impractical Jokers,” Cinema Mix reported that a number of episodes of the present had been faraway from streaming. Noting that TruTV hadn’t offered a motive for why these specific episodes had been pulled, the outlet identified they featured pranks through which Gatto kissed strangers, and one other through which he hid inside a therapeutic massage chair to therapeutic massage individuals who sat in it. The episodes containing these pranks — which had been titled, respectively, “The Dream Crusher,” and “Bull Shiatsu” — had been now not obtainable to stream, whereas clips of these pranks had been additionally faraway from the “Impractical Jokers” YouTube channel.

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That led to an apparent query: why? For what motive had episodes through which Gatto engaged in some seemingly questionable habits vanished? Each TruTV and the opposite Tenderloins remained silent about that, though the timing — coming so shortly after information of Gatto’s marital cut up — led to hypothesis about Gatto’s habits on the present and what relationship it could have had together with his separation.

Within the years since exiting “Impractical Jokers,” Joe Gatto established himself as a standup comic, embarking on comedy excursions and even starring in his first-ever standup particular, “Messing with Folks,” which streamed on Hulu. In March 2025, simply as Gatto’s solo profession was heating up, a TikTok person with the deal with, joozyb, posted a video through which she made a surprising allegation. “I obtained sexually assaulted by Joe Gatto, the ‘Impractical Joker,'” she mentioned within the since-deleted put up, as reported by Folks.

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Based on her put up, again in 2023 — when she was simply 19 — she, her mom, and sister noticed Gatto in a Milwaukee restaurant throughout his tour cease within the metropolis. She later despatched him a message through Instagram asking for tickets to his present, which he organized for her. After the present, she claimed that she and Gatto exchanged extra messages, considered one of which invited her to affix him at his lodge. She accepted the invitation. “Someone led me to the elevator, and any person was on the elevator with me and pressed the button,” she recalled. With out entering into a lot element, she claimed that “some stuff occurred” whereas she was with Gatto in his lodge room.

She emphasised her allegations within the caption she added to the video. “Sure he did S.A. me. Sure he had JUST gotten again collectively together with his spouse,” she wrote. “I am sorry you guys do not wish to hear it however.”

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Followers of “Impractical Jokers” had been understandably reeling by the sexual assault allegations leveled in opposition to Joe Gatto. Nevertheless, the state of affairs went from terrible to worse days after that TikTok video went viral, when Gatto was hit with one other accusation, coming from one other girl. That girl — who most well-liked to stay nameless — advised Those who she first met Gatto when she was simply 15 and wound up working for him. When she celebrated her 18th birthday, she advised the journal, she detected a shift in Gatto’s perspective towards her, changing into flirtatious and a bit on the handsy aspect — regardless of him being greater than 20 years her senior and a married father.

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She recounted Gatto’s frequent request for massages, and need to cuddle up together with her whereas additionally asking probing questions on her intercourse life. She additionally alleged that Gatto advised her his marriage to Bessy was an open one (one thing the girl believed to be a lie) and that he would usually boast about luring women to his apartment-like workplace through the freight elevator so they may keep away from being seen within the foyer. As well as, the girl alleged that when she rejected Gatto’s advances, he responded by being impolite and nasty to her the next day.

Not like Gatto’s different accuser, this girl didn’t declare to have been sexually assaulted. She did, nonetheless, allege a sample of sexual harassment, habits over a protracted interval that left her feeling uncomfortable.

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When these accusations turned public, it was incumbent on Joe Gatto to challenge a response. The previous “Impractical Jokers” star did simply that, issuing an unique assertion to Web page Six. As Gatto defined, he denied that he sexually assaulted the girl, however stopped effectively in need of insisting he hadn’t cheated on his spouse.

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“I’ve used poor judgment and because of this have violated the belief of the folks I like most,” Gatto’s assertion started. “However anybody who is aware of me in any respect is aware of full effectively that I would not assault anybody.”

Gatto concluded by implying that he would not be issuing any additional feedback and can be slamming the brakes on his burgeoning profession as a standup comedian, at the very least quickly. “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 must,” he added, considerably cryptically. For followers of “Impractical Jokers,” Gatto’s assertion raised extra questions than it answered, and generated hypothesis about what he deliberate to do subsequent.

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After being accused of sexual assault, Joe Gatto’s subsequent transfer was not an unfamiliar one to those that’ve adopted the trajectories of others who’ve confronted comparable allegations, starting from canceled Oscar winner Kevin Spacey to fallen film mogul Harvey Weinstein, whose life in jail is worse than we thought. “Having taken a while to replicate, I’ve determined to voluntarily enter an inpatient program to proceed engaged on myself,” Gatto mentioned in an announcement obtained by Folks. Getting into rehab to handle some imprecise, unexplained challenge within the wake of sexual misconduct allegations is disaster PR 101, and Gatto appeared to be following that exact playbook to the letter.

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Gatto’s assertion continued, ending on a private word. “I simply wish to thank my buddies, followers and particularly my household for all of their help — by no means extra so than over the previous couple of days,” he added.

Considerably inconveniently, the allegations surfaced within the midst of Gatto’s standup comedy tour, which noticed him crisscrossing the U.S. As Folks reported, all of his upcoming exhibits for 2025 had been instantly canceled, a scorched-earth response that was a far cry from a full-throated denial.

Not solely did the sexual assault allegations in opposition to former “Impractical Jokers” star Joe Gatto pause his burgeoning solo comedy profession and ship him fleeing to rehab, there have been different unanticipated penalties. Additionally impacted was an endeavor very close to and pricey to each Gatto and his spouse. “We run an animal rescue,” he as soon as advised the Longview Information Journal. “It ain’t low-cost! I am mainly out right here working for the canine! However I like them. They make me take into consideration somebody aside from myself.”

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That shelter had been generally known as Gatto Pups and Pals, capitalizing on the celebrity he achieved from Sensible Jokers. Within the wake of these allegations, nonetheless, Gatto’s spouse, Bessy Gatto, revealed through Instagram that the shelter’s identify had been modified, to Cannoli’s Candy Life Senior Rescue. “Previously generally known as Gatto Pups and Pals, Cannoli’s Candy Life Senior Rescue is right here to proceed being what this rescue and web page had been solely ever designed for — saving the lives of senior canine in want, and discovering their endlessly houses,” she wrote within the caption, apparently inserting a long way between the shelter and her accused husband, whom she made no point out of within the put up.

In case you or anybody you already know has been a sufferer of sexual assault, assist is offered. Go to the Rape, Abuse & Incest Nationwide Community web site or contact RAINN’s Nationwide Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

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