Grammy-winning gospel star and pastor Donnie McClurkin is facing a civil lawsuit in New York that accuses him of sexually abusing a former congregant over a span of years, beginning in the early 2000s.
According to NBC News, the complaint, filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, alleges a pattern of grooming, manipulation, and assault tied to the plaintiff’s struggle to reconcile his faith and sexuality.
The plaintiff, Giuseppe Corletto, says he sought out McClurkin in 2003 after reading the singer’s autobiography, which framed homosexuality as something to be overcome through religious devotion.
Corletto, then 21, attended services at McClurkin’s Long Island church and says he was quickly singled out for mentorship. “At first it was all very innocent and what I thought [was] mentoring,” Corletto said in an interview. He now believes that attention marked the start of grooming.
According to the lawsuit, the alleged abuse occurred during so-called spiritual counseling sessions aimed at changing Corletto’s sexuality. It escalated as he began working as McClurkin’s assistant and traveling with him.
Corletto says the power imbalance—McClurkin was both a religious leader and his employer—made it difficult to speak up. “I thought I was to blame,” he said. “I was brainwashed to think that my deliverance was wrapped up in him.”
The complaint describes incidents at hotels during work trips and at McClurkin’s house of worship, Perfecting Faith Church, alleging that McClurkin used religious language and scripture to guilt Corletto into staying quiet. Corletto says he attempted to leave multiple times but was persuaded to remain by comparisons to biblical mentor-mentee relationships.
One of the most striking claims centers on an email McClurkin allegedly sent after an incident in 2013. In it, McClurkin reportedly apologized for forcing Corletto into situations he said no to, calling himself “a desperate dirty ‘old man.’” Corletto says finding the message years later helped him understand he “wasn’t crazy” and didn’t imagine what happened.
McClurkin, now 66, has denied the allegations. His attorney called the claims “categorically false,” stating that McClurkin never engaged in sexual abuse or coercion and that the lawsuit misrepresents decades-old interactions.
The case is being brought under New York City’s Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law, which temporarily expanded the window for survivors to file civil claims. Corletto says he is now married and in a healthier place, though his relationship with organized religion remains complicated.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, help is available. In the U.S., the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline is available 24/7 at 800-656-HOPE (4673) or via online chat at rainn.org.