Warning: This article contains sensitive subject matter, including sexual assault. Please proceed with caution.
Joe Gatto of Impractical Jokers fame has responded to a TikToker’s claims that he sexually assaulted her when she was 19.
TikToker @joozyb (Jooz) claims that she met Gatto while with her family, she was then invited to his comedy show via Instagram DMs. After the show Jooz, who states she was intoxicated at the time, continued talking with Gatto over Instagram before he invited her to his hotel using the app’s vanish mode (which deletes messages after the chat is closed). Jooz understandably doesn’t go into details about what happens next but her allegations have caught the attention of people online.
Joe Gatto responds to the allegations
Gatto, who is most known for his appearance on the comedy/reality show Impractical Jokers, responded to Jooz’s accusation. According to an article form the BBC the comedian denies the claims of sexual assault, but has admitted to exercising “poor judgement.”
“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.”
He added that, in light of the accusations, he would be taking “some time away from the public eye” in order to work on himself.
The internet response to the allegations
Jooz’s first viral TikTok covering the situation blew up last week, but according to her, she has been trying to share her story for over a year. While there were a few who expressed support and believed her claims, the vast majority of comments criticized the lack of proof, other comments were victim blaming, or downright derogatory.
Jooz has provided some evidence that certainly backs up her story to an extent. She shared screenshots of her conversation with Joe Gatto as well as a screenshot of a message sent in vanish mode where he gave her directions to his hotel room. She also shared a picture of a bruise on her rear which she claims was the result of Gatto biting her.
Others have made similar claims
Since Jooz shared her story others have come forward with their own experiences. Two girls shared an encounter they had with Gatto and while they never went to his hotel room and they don’t accuse him of assault, the messages he allegedly sent and other details about their story sound awfully similar to what Jooz claims happened to her.
Of course, none of this can conclusively prove that Jooz is telling the truth about the assault – these are just allegations after all, but many have expressed their disappointment that Joe Gatto, a celebrity most people thought was wholesome and safe, could potentially be harboring such a dark side to his personality.
Published: Mar 25, 2025 1:27 PM UTC