A former star of the hidden camera comedy series “Impractical Jokers” has been accused of misconduct, days after another woman accused him of sexual assault.
People reports that a former employee has come forward with claims that Joe Gatto sexually harassed her while she worked for him.
People did not identify the woman who made the claims, but she told the publication that she first met Gatto at one of his live shows when she was 15, and later began working for him after she graduated from college.
The woman said that a previous employees of Gatto informed her that he could be “flirty and handsy,” according to People, and advised her to “shut it down immediately” if he “did anything creepy.”
She also said that while working for Gatto, he would grab her inappropriately, frequently ask about her sex life, ask for back massages, and once asked her back to his room and asked her to cuddle, among other incidents of sexual harassment.
The woman also claimed that when she refused Gatto’s advances or did not flirt back, he would be rude to her at work, leaving her concerned about losing her job.
The woman’s allegations against Gatto come days after a TikTok user accused Gatto of sexually assaulting her when she was 19 in a now-deleted video.
Gatto, who left the show “Impractical Jokers” in 2021, has denied the allegations of inappropriate behavior.
In a statement to Page Six about the first accusations, Gatto said “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.”
“Working on myself is an ongoing process, and I am now going to take some time away from the public eye to focus my energies where I need to,” the statement read.