Joe Gatto Exits ‘Impractical Jokers’ Amid Split From His Wife
It’s the end of an era for The Tenderloins — Joe Gatto has announced his departure from the comedy troupe at the center of truTV’s hit hidden camera series, Impractical Jokers.
Over the weekend, the comedian took to Instagram to share the news that he was leaving the series after a decade and nine seasons — it first premiered in December 2011 — due to “some issues in my personal life.”
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“Sorry in advance for the long and more-serious-than-usual note below, I just wanted to let you all know that I will no longer be involved with Impractical Jokers,” Gatto captioned a a photo of himself on stage.
“Alongside my friends, I’ve devoted a decade of my life to building this franchise and couldn’t be prouder of what has been accomplished. However, due to some issues in my personal life, I have to step away,” he continued.
He then shared that he and wife Bessy Gatto have “decided to amicably part ways,” after tying the knot in 2013. “So now I need to focus on being the best father and co-parent to our two incredible kids,” he added.beGatto then made a point to thank his fellow group members, James “Murr” Murray, Brian “Q” Quinn, and Sal Vulcano, and wish them luck continuing without him. “Outside of my family, my relationships with Murr, Q, and Sal have been the most important in my life,” he wrote. “I know they will continue to make the world laugh.”
It’s unclear what sort of plans the 45-year-old has for his career going forward, but he did thank the fans for all of their support over the years. “As I work through the challenges I am facing, I hope to and am excited to create new ways to entertain you,” he said.
As for Impractical Jokers, the series will “get back to making a new chapter of Impractical Jokers in January,” as confirmed by the rest of the members in a statement on Quinn’s Instagram.
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“After all these years together, we never imagined making Impractical Jokers without Joe,” the trio wrote. “While we are saddened to see him go, we [can’t wait] to keep making people laugh, keep our relationship with the Impractical Jokers fans going, and keep working with the members of our team that we consider family.”
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