Former Impractical Jokers comedian Joe Gatto has been accused of using his “fame to groom and manipulate” young girls in viral video.
Former Impractical Jokers member Joe Gatto has been accused of behaving inappropriately toward young women in multiple videos and screenshots that took the internet by storm. TikTok user joozyb posted in March, starting the viral video with the shocking statement: “I got sexually assaulted by Joe Gatto.”
Another young girl came to TikTok in a now-deleted video backing joozyb’s claims and showing her own proof of strange, inappropriate interactions with Gatto.
“This has happened to multiple other girls,” she said. “[He uses his] fame to groom and manipulate and make young girls feel special, while also cheating on his wife.”
A couple shared their story about unsettling interactions with Gatto, claiming that he told them to kiss several times and lift their shirts while backstage at his comedy show, which he paid the two girls to be at. He was also accused of asking them for nude photos and “begged” them to come to his hotel.
“Obviously, he’s not a great man,” one of the girls said.
In majority of the accusatory videos, the women claimed Gatto utilized “vanish mode” on Instagram to hide inappropriate messages. One accuser said people should focus on the fact that a man nearing his 50s should not be inviting teenage girls to his hotel room, especially when married.
The comedian was also accused of grooming another TikTok user named Mandy when she was only 15, asking her to send nude photos and asking inappropriate questions over Snapchat.
Gatto, while he did not dispute accusations of cheating on his wife with young women, denied allegations of sexual assault. Hereportedly cancelled his comedy tour and voluntarily admitted himself into an in-patient facility shortly after the accusations emerged.
“I have used poor judgement and as a result have violated the trust of the people I love the most,” Gatto said in an exclusive interview with Page Six on March 22. “But anyone who knows me at all knows full well that I wouldn’t assault anyone.”
TikTok user jboozy did, however, come under fire as suspicion regarding the legitimacy of her claims against Gatto arose. In viral screenshots of TikTok messages, she claimed to have lied about at least part of her story, making the validity of the allegations against the comedian less concrete. Many of Gatto’s fans do not believe the accusations.
In the midst of Gatto’s scandal, another social media user came forward with allegations against yet another Impractical Jokers member: James “Murr” Murray. According to screenshots from 2012, the comedy television star supposedly held many uncomfortable and strange conversations with the then 16-year-old Facebook user. Murr has not addressed the allegations and has continued to stay in the public eye despite the rumors floating around the internet.
The full truth surrounding the allegations against the Impractical Jokers stars has yet to be legally proven or confessed to despite the plethora of evidence.
