Comedian's Florida shows canceled after sex assault allegations: ‘Working on myself'
In the midst of a headline-making scandal, Joe Gatto, of 'Impractical Jokers' fame is getting help.
The comic, who is facing allegations of sexual assault and harassment, announced on Wednesday that he is checking into a treatment facility at an undisclosed location, People first reported.
Moreover, Gatto has canceled all upcoming dates on his current tour, with two stops in Florida. One was set for May 17 in Tampa at the Tampa Theatre, the other the following night at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in Sarasota. Refunds will be issued to the original method of payment used at the time of purchase.
'Having taken some time to reflect, I've decided to voluntarily enter an inpatient program to continue working on myself,' the truTV alum said in a statement. '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.'
The mess began to unravel last Friday when a TikTok user with the handle @joozyb dropped a bombshell that he sexually assaulted her.
The 'fangirl' told followers that the alleged incident took place after one of his Milwaukee shows in September 2023 when she was 19. The woman said she had bumped into Gatto earlier that day at a restaurant and asked to take a photo with him.. She later DM'ed him on Instagram to ask if she could see his show.
In a follow-up video, the woman shared screenshots of purported messages from the 48-year-old prankster, telling her he would leave backstage passes for her and later gave her instructions on how to get into his hotel room.
'I was drunk, whatever, and he was texting me all this stuff,' she said, admitting she went to his room and 'some stuff happened.'
Gatto, who is married with two kids, subsequently denied he assaulted anyone, but did admit things could have gone differently.
'I have used poor judgment and, as a result, have violated the trust of the people I love most,' the 'Two Cool Moms' podcaster said in a statement at the time. 'But anyone who knows me at all knows full well that I wouldn't assault anyone.'
Days later, a former employee told People Gatto exhibited unwanted, inappropriate behavior while she was working for him after graduating from college. During her two-year stint on 'Impractical Jokers' (he left the show in 2021), the unnamed woman claims her boss often asked about her sex life and requested back massages. One time things got physical when she said he 'grabbed' her in an elevator.
After this second individual came forward, Gatto did not release a new statement. His rep referred media to his original one.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
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