EXCLUSIVE Impractical Jokers star Joe Gatto breaks silence after misconduct allegations as wife makes first public appearance
Former Impractical Jokers star Joe Gatto has broken his silence after being accused of sexual assault by a 19-year-old and inappropriate behavior by multiple teenage girls while his wife Bessy has made her first public appearance since the controversy.
After the initial allegation, the 48-year-old former television star went into treatment which he has since completed after a month.
A spokesperson for Gatto told DailyMail.com: 'Joe completed his program at a treatment center and is now continuing his work at home with his family.'
Meanwhile Joe's 43-year-old philanthropist wife stepped out in New York City at Chelsea Piers on Wednesday at NYC Second Chance Rescue's 5th Annual Gala.
Accompanied by her girl friends, Bessy was seen smiling and having a good time, according to an eyewitness who spoke to DailyMail.com.
She even posed for photos on the red carpet with adorable dogs from the non-profit organization, which she is on the board of directors for.
Joe appears to be making an effort to build a better reputation for himself in the public eye.
An insider revealed to DailyMail.com that he had donated over $10,000 to Second Chance Rescue, a non-profit organization that provides medical care to cats and dogs through their foster care system and brick-and-mortar shelter.
The sexual assault allegation against the reality star began on March 22 when a TikTok user named Joozyb claimed he assaulted her after she met him before one of his shows in Milwaukee in September 2023.
After the show, she said they continued messaging each other, adding in a now-deleted TikTok video, 'I was drunk, whatever, and he was texting me all this stuff. And, like, it was starting to get a little weird, you know.'
She claimed Gatto then put their messages on Instagram into 'vanish mode', and told her how to get to where he was staying that night.
The accuser did not go into detail about the alleged sexual assault, but said that 'some stuff happened' and shared an image of her backside with a large bruise across it, claiming: 'Here's what he did... with his TEETH.'
Accompanied by her girl friends, Bessy was seen smiling and having a good time, according to an eyewitness who spoke to DailyMail.com
An insider revealed to DailyMail.com that Joe had donated over $10,000 to Second Chance Rescue , a non-profit organization that provides medical care to cats and dogs through their foster care system and brick-and-mortar shelter
He has since denied the allegations and released the following statement: '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.
'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.'
He was then accused of 'unwanted behaviors' by a former employee, who claimed she first met him during one of his live shows when she was 15, and that by the time she turned 18 he had become 'very flirtatious.'
The employee, who previously worked for Gatto during his time on Impractical Jokers alleged that at times he 'inappropriately grabbed her' and 'asked for back massages.'
She further alleged that Gatto invited her to his room with a request to cuddle, and repeatedly asked her about her sex life.
In response to this, he shared the same public statement, denying the claims.
On March 26, it was announced that he canceled his upcoming comedy tour dates as he took time seek help at an in-patient facility. Details of where he sought treatment are still unknown at this time.
'Having taken some time to reflect, I've decided to voluntarily enter an inpatient program to continue working on myself.
'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,' he said at the time.
Shortly after, DailyMail.com exclusively reported on Joe being accused of inappropriate behavior by two teenage girls.
Grace Kennedy and recent high school graduate Brianna Ochoa have shared their experience with Gatto in a 10-minute TikTok video which featured alleged messages from the comedian asking for nudes, and detailed their multiple encounters with him, the most recent taking place in December 2024.
During one of their encounters - which occurred at three of his shows - he encouraged them to kiss and lift up their tops so he could stroke their stomachs.
'Stuff started getting weird because he was telling us to kiss,' Grace said of a meeting with the TV personality that took place after one of his shows.
Brianna added: 'Basically, he told us to kiss three times in a row. Not make out or anything. Like a peck.'
She continued: 'He was being so weird and he fed me a mango with his fingers. I was sitting on the couch and he was standing above me and he was like, "Do you want a bite?" and then he fed me with his fingers and it was really awkward.'
Grace claimed he then told them to take a seat on the couch with him and 'told us to lift up our shirts, so we did,' adding: 'We couldn't not, you know.'
She continued: 'And then he asked to touch them, and that's when it started getting weird. He was stroking our bellies. He was touching our belly buttons.'
The lesbian couple claimed that he 'begged' them to come over to his hotel room in the middle of the night, but ultimately they refused.
Brianna told her followers, 'Obviously, he's not a great man, and what we should be focused on is not teenage girls going to his hotel. What we should be focused on is a 50-year-old man inviting teenage girls to hotels.' Grace added: 'Married with kids.'
Even though Bessy has yet to address the sexual assault allegations, she stepped out on Wednesday night to fulfill her duties as a member on the board of directors for Second Chance Rescue. The advisory board also includes Georgina Bloomberg and Ralph Lauren's daughter Dylan Lauren.
This year, NYC Second Chance Rescue's 5th Annual Gala honored Martha Stewart and her plastic surgeon, Dr. Dan Belkin, with the 'Angel & Hero Award' in recognition of their commitment to animal welfare.
Singer Rob Thomas also performed during the gala.
Joe and Bessy attended the organization's annual gala in the past, including the one that was held last year which was also attended by Joe and Melissa Gorga, Jason Biggs, Jenny Mollen, Don Lemon and Tim Malone.
The Long Island-based couple has been married since 2013. They briefly separated in 2022, but reconciled nearly two years later.
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