Following recent allegations of sexual abuse, Joe Gatto is canceling his stand-up comedy tour and seeking treatment for himself.
In a statement to USA TODAY, the “Impractical Jokers” star revealed on Wednesday that he is checking into an in-patient facility to address his well-being. Gatto did not specify the type of treatment he will be receiving.
“Having taken some time to reflect, I’ve decided to voluntarily enter an in-patient program to continue working on myself,” Gatto said. “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.”
In the wake of his announcement, Gatto has also canceled upcoming performances on his recently launched Let’s Get Into It tour, a source close to the situation but not authorized to speak publicly confirmed to USA TODAY.
The North American trek, which opened on Feb. 13, had remaining concerts in Phoenix, Las Vegas, St. Louis and other major cities.
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Gatto’s tour cancellation and health news come after the 48-year-old comic was accused of sexual assault over the weekend by a woman on social media.
A TikToker known as joozyb alleged in a series of viral videos that Gatto sexually assaulted her in 2023 when she was 19. In a 10-minute clip posted March 21, she said she met the comedian after running into him while at brunch, where she said he invited her to see his comedy show that night.
After the performance, the TikTok user alleged that she went to see Gatto at his hotel. “I don’t want to go into the details about everything,” she said, but added that she doesn’t “want any girl to feel” the way he made her feel.
The user shared multiple photos of herself with Gatto and screenshots of alleged messages with him, including one that appeared to show instructions on how to get to a hotel room. The woman also posted a photo showing her with a large bruise on her bottom, which she claimed he left “with his teeth.” A video that the user said she took after leaving the hotel room appeared to have a time stamp of 2:26 a.m. on Sept. 9, 2023.
Joe Gatto accused of sexual abuse: ‘Impractical Jokers’ star denies sexual assault allegation
In a statement to USA TODAY on Sunday, Gatto denied the assault claims but conceded he has “used poor judgment and as a result have violated the trust of the people I love most.”
“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,” Gatto said.
Following joozyb’s allegations, a second woman came forward to accuse Gatto of sexual misconduct. The unidentified accuser, who first met Gatto when she was 15 and later worked for the comedian, told People magazine that Gatto “inappropriately grabbed her and asked for back massages,” as well as “made frequent inquiries into her sex life.”
Gatto starred on “Impractical Jokers” for nine seasons before leaving the popular hidden camera show in 2021. At the time, he said he would step away “due to some issues in my personal life” amid his separation from his wife, Bessy. The couple later reconciled, according to a September 2023 social media post from Gatto.
Contributing: Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY
