Longtime “Impractical Jokers” star Joe Gatto dropped a New Year’s Eve bombshell, announcing that he was exiting the comedy show after more than a decade “due to some issues in my personal life.”
“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,” he wrote in a lengthy Instagram post. “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.”
Gatto mentioned that he and his wife of eight years, Bessy, “have decided to amicably part ways, so now I need to focus on being the best father and co-parent to our two incredible kids.”
He added praise for the other members of the Tenderloins comedy troupe behind “Impractical Jokers” and its spinoffs — James “Murr” Murray, Brian “Q” Quinn and Sal Vulcano. “As I work through the challenges I am facing, I hope to and am excited to create new ways to entertain you,” he concluded.
Last February, the “Impractical Jokers” quartet signed a first-look deal with Warner Media along with a 10th season renewal of their TruTV series.
WarnerMedia’s “Impractical Jokers” franchise includes “Impractical Jokers,” “Impractical Jokers: After Party,” and “Impractical Jokers: Dinner Party” for truTV, “The Misery Index” for TBS, and “Impractical Jokers: The Movie” currently steaming on HBO Max.
In a statement on Quinn’s Instagram page, the remaining three stars pledged to “get back to making a new chapter of Impractical Jokers in January.”
“After all these years together, we never imagined making Impractical Jokers without Joe,” they wrote. “While we are saddened to see him go, we cant 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.”
You can read Gatto’s full message below.