Brad Barket
Impractical Jokers star Joe Gatto announced on Friday night that he was leaving the hit truTV prank show, citing personal issues as the cause for his sudden departure, bringing an end to a decade-long run of pulling stunts with his best friends.
“I’ve devoted a decade of my life to building this franchise and couldn’t be prouder of what has been accomplished,” he wrote in an Instagram post. “However, due to some issues in my personal life, 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 incredible kids.”
The 45-year-old was one of the founding members of the comedy group The Tenderloins, alongside high school best friends Brian “Q” Quinn, James “Murr” Murray, and Sal Vulcano.
Gatto’s decision comes as a shock, as Impractical Jokers had just been renewed for its 10th season with truTV and the comedy troupe was in the works of developing a new unscripted and scripted show for HBO Max, as well as with TNT and TBS, according to Deadline.
In a separate statement, the three other stars lamented how upset they were to see Gatto leave but confirmed they would be continuing Impractical Jokers without him, teasing that a “new chapter” would be coming in January.