Dark Details About The Impractical Jokers Cast

The show “Impractical Jokers” often seems like a tamer alternative to “Jackass,” with pranks that generally have a lighter tone. However, despite the seemingly harmless jokes, there are some concerning aspects about the four main cast members that might surprise you. Over time, there have been numerous controversies and startling disclosures, ranging from allegations of sexual misconduct to lawsuits filed by upset spectators and previous team members.

Peeking beneath the limelight, you might discover surprising facts about the Impractical Jokers crew, delving into their early relationships in certain instances. So, what secrets lie buried under these bold entertainers’ carpets? Let’s dive right in to uncover some startling revelations about the “Impractical Jokers” team.

Joe Gatto has been accused of sexual assault and sexual harassment

As a gaming enthusiast, I’ve got some news that’s tough to share. One of the guys from the “Impractical Jokers,” Joe Gatto, is facing some serious allegations. Two different women have come forward, accusing him of sexual assault and harassment.

The first woman, going by joozyb on TikTok, claims that when she was 19, Gatto sexually assaulted her after they connected on social media and he invited her to his hotel room. On TikTok, she said, “Yes, he did S.A me.” She apologized for sharing this, acknowledging it might be hard for people to hear.

In response to these accusations, Gatto issued a statement to Page Six, stating, “I have made mistakes and in doing so, I’ve violated the trust of those I care about most. But let me be clear, I would never assault anyone.

As a gamer, I was shocked when another woman stepped forward with allegations against Gatto regarding inappropriate behavior. This lady, who reportedly began collaborating with him on “Impractical Jokers” shortly after graduating college, alleged that he overstepped professional boundaries. She described instances where he made her uncomfortable through inappropriate touching and requests for massages. Furthermore, she revealed that Gatto would often privately message her on social media, complimenting her as ‘hot’, and becoming possessive whenever she posted photos of her boyfriend.

After facing these accusations, Gatto chose to seek therapy. He shared with People in an exclusive statement, “After some self-reflection, I’ve decided to voluntarily check myself into a residential treatment facility to continue my personal growth.” He expressed his gratitude towards his friends, fans, and especially his family for their support, particularly over the last few days. All remaining dates on his comedy tour have been canceled, and it appears that Gatto won’t be returning to “Impractical Jokers” anytime soon.

Joe Gatto left the show after he and his wife split

Previously, Joe Gatto has faced negative public attention due to his personal matters. In 2021, when he left “Impractical Jokers”, he expressed on Instagram that the reason was to spend more quality time with his family. He mentioned that he and his wife were separating, which necessitated him being present for their two kids more. His post read, “I have to step away… Bessy and I have decided to amicably part ways, so now I need to focus on being the best father and co-parent to our two wonderful children.” He also commended his colleagues and the show’s fans for making a positive impact on his life and supporting his decisions.

Following some separation, the pair chose to try their relationship once more. Gatto signaled this to the public by celebrating his tenth anniversary with Bessy on Instagram. His message read, “I’m grateful for this decade and I’m optimistic that we can have a few more because we’ve demonstrated through empathy, forgiveness, and an open heart that we can make it work.” However, the current state of their relationship remains unclear, as allegations have been made by a TikTok user who claims Gatto sexually assaulted her after he had reunited with his wife. In a TikTok post, she stated, “He had JUST reconciled with his wife.

Q’s first girlfriend is in prison

Brian “Q” Quinn is widely recognized among fans as a kind-hearted individual, frequently subjecting himself to penalties that endear him to viewers. Over the years, he’s had more than his fair share of romantic misfortunes. In an episode of the podcast he co-hosts, “Tell ‘Em Steve-Dave,” he shared a heartbreaking story: two weeks before their wedding, his fiancée left him for a police officer. Even the account of how Q lost his virginity to his first girlfriend is now a somber chapter in the annals of “Impractical Jokers.

In the show, it was disclosed that the incident took place during a family trip to Locust Lake with a charming young woman named Jen. Additional details emerged in various podcast interviews he gave later: At the time of the recording, she was behind bars (or possibly still is). As the story unfolded, he also mentioned that her sister is well-known in showbiz. Eager fans of the program have been trying to find her using these hints, but unless Q provides a name, they will never learn her identity for sure.

Q almost died from encephalitis

Q has had some struggles with his health. During a public event at The Friars Club in 2017, he disclosed that he experienced a serious illness. This ordeal started when he suffered a minor stroke while performing on “Impractical Jokers,” which was being broadcast live. Afterward, it was discovered that he had contracted an encephalitis virus, causing inflammation in his brain. This illness made him endure weeks of pain. Thankfully, the illness subsided without treatment, and Q fully recovered. However, due to this health issue, he missed out on participating in several action-packed episodes of the show.

After battling COVID-19, I managed to pull through, thankfully. A topic near and dear to my heart is mental health, particularly depression and wellness. I’ve shared my personal struggles with these issues on shows like “Impractical Jokers” and “Tell ‘Em Steve-Dave”. As a former FDNY firefighter who’s dealt with PTSD myself, I understand the unique challenges faced by those in the field. That’s why I’ve been vocal about supporting organizations like Friends of Firefighters, a non-profit that offers counseling and peer support to firefighters – heroes who, as I’ve said in a PSA, are “the closest thing we have to superheroes.” If you’d like to help, consider donating to Friends of Firefighters here.

Should you or someone close to you be grappling with mental health issues, don’t hesitate to reach out. You can text HOME to 741741 for assistance from Crisis Text Line, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) helpline at 1-800-950-6264, or explore resources on the National Institute of Mental Health’s website.

Impractical Jokers got sued…twice

Interestingly enough, given the zany antics of “Impractical Jokers,” it’s somewhat surprising that legal action has only been taken twice against TruTV and the show’s producers. In 2019, a lawsuit was filed over an incident involving the program. A lady named Giovanna Santoni-Waldinger claimed that she was filmed without her consent while eating at a restaurant in Times Square as part of a prank. One of the Jokers was also captured on camera nearby, which recorded her reaction to a boisterous and inappropriate discussion.

Santoni-Waldinger declined to sign a waiver that would make her unblurred footage air on television, but despite this, her face was shown clearly on the network. Additionally, the video was uploaded online. In an interview with The New York Post, she said, “I just want justice. I saw what they did and it’s not right.” She went on to explain that although the clip featuring her was only 88 seconds long, it was sufficient for people to identify her.

In addition to the ongoing legal issues the series has faced, Larry Crisci – a former crew member, filed a lawsuit against TruTV for persistently using his name after his departure. His character, referred to as “That Larry Guy” by the Jokers in their skits, became a recurring joke. Even after Crisci left, they continued to call for help from this offscreen figure. Without his explicit consent, they carried on with these skits which eventually led to him suing for $500,000, as reported by TMZ.

Murr suffered second-degree burns during a prank

James “Murr” Murray may not endure as much pain as Q on “Impractical Jokers,” but he’s undeniably had his fair share of tough breaks. On one particular instance, Murr decided to squeeze himself into an ice cream cart and let the others push him around for a joke. Unfortunately for Murr, the truck wasn’t filled with regular ice; instead, it was loaded with dry ice, which is approximately 100 times colder than your average freezer, as per the American Burn Association. Unfortunate indeed, because Murr discovered this fact firsthand: He sustained some serious burns during the prank and required medical attention.

As a gamer, I can honestly say that during our latest prank, things took an unexpected turn. While filming, I got second-degree burns from some dry ice and had to rush to the hospital. Let me tell you, it wasn’t a joke! Thankfully, I made a full recovery, but that day will forever be etched in my memory – not because of the fun we usually have, but because of the pain I experienced.

Now, there have been more serious injuries on our show, like when an obstacle course left two cast members injured. But given how unexpected it was for me to get hurt this way, it’s safe to say that day stands out as one of the darkest moments in “Impractical Jokers.

Murr was traumatized by the skydiving punishment

Members of the “Impractical Jokers” team are known for experiencing intense emotional trauma through their pranks. They’ve endured embarrassing tattoos and physical punishments together. However, it wasn’t just the burning of James “Murr” Murray’s favorite childhood blanket that sent chills down his spine; rather, it was the time he was compelled to go skydiving as a punishment. Murr has an intense fear of heights, and before making the jump, he suffered a severe emotional breakdown, crying and screaming all the way down.

Before the daring stunt unfolded, Murr bid farewell to his family and sent them a text message as a precaution if his parachute failed to open. The producers stood by ready to replace him with another participant, but Murr went ahead with the jump nonetheless. After landing, he maintained a light-hearted tone, vowing revenge on his friends, although the scene had an unsettling quality. For some fans, this episode might be considered one of the best from “Impractical Jokers”, but for Murr it was a terrifying experience, making it a particularly grim day in the show’s chronicles.

Some episodes were removed after Joe Gatto left the show

As a dedicated fan of “Impractical Jokers”, I’ve noticed that some episodes featuring Joe Gatto have been taken off the air or removed from both Max and YouTube. Those episodes where he had to kiss or massage strangers were the ones that got pulled, but this was quite a while back before any sexual misconduct allegations against him surfaced. It leaves me wondering if there was some sort of incident behind the scenes that led to these episodes being taken down. Fans like me have been guessing about it, and I have a feeling we’ll find out eventually. As @settlemlCFB put it on Twitter: “Man, they took down certain Impractical Jokers episodes with Joe Gatto… very specific ones. I hate to be the one saying this, but something went down there. It’s gonna come out.

Is the removal of jokes related to Mario and Princess Peach from an episode of Impractical Jokers a deliberate action due to internal complaints or merely a coincidence? Regrettably, we may never know for certain. It’s been noted that episodes are often edited for various reasons, including copyright issues. For instance, user @electrotriple11 commented on seeing an episode where one of the jokers dressed as Mario, only to find that all references to Mario and Princess Peach were removed, along with the Mario logo. These clips have also been taken down from YouTube and the archived version on Max. It’s plausible that episodes containing Gatto’s pranks (kissing and massaging people) were simply removed for other reasons. However, it seems that jokes like these no longer seem appropriate in today’s context.

Crew members have been known to manhandle fans

The primary curiosity surrounding “Impractical Jokers” is often: Is the show genuine or staged? Generally speaking, it’s real, but there are instances where the production team steps in. This happens when fans recognize the cast members while they’re filming a prank on the street and attempt to interfere. Given the unique nature of the show and the rising fame of the Jokers, such situations can’t be completely avoided. So, during pranks, the production team sometimes discreetly moves people away from the cameras to prevent awkward interactions. As Joe Gatto explained to Life & Style Magazine, they have a team that “rescues” these individuals, similar to how Liam Neeson’s character does in the movie “Taken”.

While this approach might be necessary to prevent any disruptions in the show, it does somewhat undermine the illusion that the guys are living their lives spontaneously among ordinary people. Keep in mind that not every scene you see is real – some footage gets cut for legal reasons. This editing can occasionally make the series feel less genuine than one might expect, although it’s still important to note that “Impractical Jokers” isn’t a scripted show.

2025-04-10 20:31