Fans of the popular comedy troop The Tenderloins aka The Impractical Jokers got some sad news this weekend. Founding member Joe Gatto has announced that he will be leaving the show and his longtime comedy team.

In a heartfelt Instagram post, Gatto opened up to his fans about his decision to exit the group for personal reasons involving his parting of ways with his wife and figuring out how to co-parent their children in a way that is best for them. In the post, he writes,

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.

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. 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.

Gatto also cordially thanked everyone who made the show possible and expressed his gratitude towards his loyal fan-base,

Outside of my family, my relationships with Murr, Q and Sal have been the most important in my life. I know they will continue to make the world laugh. And even though the four of us are the ones who you all see, this show is only possible due to the hard work of the talented crew members who work behind the scenes. I am very thankful to have worked with each and every one of them.

To all of the amazing fans, thank you for allowing me to make you laugh with Jokers. They say that laughter is the best medicine, and I hope I've been able to provide some of that over the last decade. Seeing you laugh has been my own medicine, particularly in these weird and difficult times we find ourselves.

But it seems Gatto isn't stepping out of the spotlight for good, as he added,

As I work through the challenges I am facing, I hope to and am excited to create new ways to entertain you.

A post shared by instagram

 

As for his comedy cohorts, Brian Quinn wrote on his Instagram,

After all these years together, we never imagined making Impractical Jokers without Joe. 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.

Hopefully, this won't be the last we see of this hilarious quartet which has been entertaining people with their truTV show since 2011.

Tags: Impractical Jokers Joe Gatto Brian Quinn truTV