star and his wife, Bessy, seemed to have it all before announcing their separation on New Year’s Eve 2021. Even a brief look at their Instagram accounts showed a loving marriage, two beautiful children and over a dozen rescue dog pets in what they professed to be a happy home.
The pair began living together in 2010, when Bessy moved in with Joe and his roommate, fellow Impractical Jokers star James Murray, in the Manhattan apartment that the two men shared at the time. She relocated from California to be with Joe in New York, as he and his friends were developing what later became Impractical Jokers.
Bessy reminisced about it in an August 21, 2019, Instagram post with the two men. “9 years ago today I packed my bags and left California to move in with these 2 goofy people and life has never been the same. N.Y. has been a crazy ride but I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” she wrote at the time.
The brunette animal lover was there as Joe and James, along with fellow pals Brian “Q” Quinn and Sal Vulcano, came up with Impractical Jokers. “The four of us did while we were having lunch at James and my apartment. James and I were roommates together for a while in Manhattan. We were sitting around eating, which is when we come up with most of our great ideas,” he told MassLive in 2019.
“We thought what could we do make our version of what would be a hidden camera comedy show. We didn’t like to do the traditional prank show where we felt bad for people having jokes pulled on them. We thought why don’t we just make ourselves the marks of the show. Have our three friends turn the screws on each of us and let the collateral embarrassment be the source of the comedy,” he added. Impractical Jokers premiered on truTV in 2011.
Joe and Bessy married in 2013, three years after she made the move to New York. In 2015, the couple welcomed their first child, daughter Milana Francis. Two years later, the pair completed their family with the birth of son Remington James in July 2017.
While Bessy focused on working with dog rescue organizations and being a mom, she didn’t seek the spotlight. The self-described “introvert” made a handful of rare public appearances on red carpets with Joe over the years. Next to an Instagram photo of the pair cuddled together at the 2021 MTV Movie and TV Awards she wrote, “Not much gets me out of my comfort zone and in heels. But I’m full of pride and smiles being here for this!”
In May 2021, Joe shared a photo he took from the passenger’s seat of Bessy driving while laughing and holding up her hand to try to stop the snapshot. He gushed, “I love my beautiful wife more than she loves candids.” He never missed a chance to publicly gush over the joy that Bessy and their kids brought him. He even talked about her “big, beautiful heart,” in a December 19, 2021, Instagram photo with some of the couple’s 17 pet rescue dogs.
That’s why it took Impractical Jokers fans by surprise when Joe announced that he was leaving the show ahead of its 10th season, and that he and Bessy were splitting, which he said played a factor in his decision.
“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, he wrote on Instagram. “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 coparent to our two incredible kids.” Bessy shared a similar post, confirming the separation.
Scroll down for photos of Joe and Bessy’s relationship timeline.