Joe Gatto Exited 'Impractical Jokers' for Personal Reasons, but New Allegations Could Reveal More

Content warning: This article contains mentions of sexual assault.

More than three years after Joe Gatto made the decision to exit Impractical Jokers, he released a standup special on Hulu. "It is cool to be part of a major streamer and get a little recognition that way and also open myself up to a new audience," he told The Wrap in January 2025. Gatto quit the prank show in 2021 and spent the next two and a half years writing and touring his standup. "You just try to be funny," said Gatto. "That is the No. 1 thing."

This was the first time Gatto was doing anything comedic on his own. He met two of his Impractical Jokers pals at Monsignor Farrell High School in Staten Island, N.Y. They quickly formed an improv troupe that eventually evolved into the prank show fans came to know and love. Gatto was on Impractical Jokers for the first nine seasons until he abruptly left in 2021. Why did he leave? Here's what we know.

In an Instagram post dated Dec. 31, 2021, Gatto shared that he was leaving Impractical Jokers due to "some issues" in his personal life. He was separating from his wife, Bessy, whom he married in 2013. "So, now I need to focus on being the best father and co-parent to our two incredible kids," wrote Gatto. He then thanked his fans for all of their support.

Less than two years later, Gatto once again took to Instagram in order to provide a life update. Without specifically saying they had reconciled, Gatto posted a picture of him and Bessy at the beach along with a very moving caption. Gatto wrote that despite the highs and lows they endured throughout their relationship, they always had love. Bessy was his person, and that wasn't going to change.

In a 10-minute video posted to TikTok on March 21, 2025, a young woman with the username @joozyb alleged that Gatto sexually assaulted her. According to @joozyb, the assault occurred on Sept. 9, 2023, a week after he wrote his long and loving post to Bessy on Instagram. In the video, the young woman said she and her family ran into Gatto at brunch and asked for pictures. Later, when she saw Gatto liked her Instagram Story, the young woman replied and asked for tickets to his comedy show that night. He obliged.

Although Gatto left a pair of tickets as well as two meet-and-greet passes, the young woman attended the show alone because she couldn't find a friend to accompany her. At the meet and greet, the young woman was so overwhelmed by the experience — which she described as her first adult outing — that she cried. Gatto messaged her to apologize for making her cry, then followed that up with, "You look great in the picture, so that's good."

At this point, Gatto turned on Vanish Mode, which meant his messages would disappear once the chat was closed. Despite that, the young woman managed to screenshot directions Gatto sent to his hotel room. After getting the hotel information, she arrived in an Uber. Once in the room, she said "some stuff happened" but she "didn't want to go into details."

The young woman also shared a photo of her bruised buttocks and claimed that Gatto had bitten her. Two days after this TikTok was shared, Gatto denied the allegations. In a statement to USA Today, he said, "I have used poor judgment and as a result have violated the trust of the people I love most." He continued, "But anyone who knows me at all knows full well that I wouldn't assault anyone."