Grammy-winning gospel singer and pastor Donnie McClurkin is facing a lawsuit that alleges years of sexual abuse.
According to a complaint filed in New York and obtained by NBC News on January 5, Giuseppe Corletto claims the abuse spanned more than a decade and began after McClurkin positioned himself as a mentor at his Long Island church.
Corletto says he first met McClurkin in August 2003, when he was 21 years old, at Perfecting Faith Church. According to the lawsuit, McClurkin told him he would help “deliver him from homosexuality,” a promise Corletto claims later became a tool for manipulation. The filing alleges McClurkin coerced him into “further unwanted sexual acts” from 2007 through 2015.
The alleged abuse took place in hotel rooms and continued even after Corletto resigned from the church in 2008. Corletto claims McClurkin later tracked him down and assaulted him on two separate occasions. Despite raising concerns with church staff over the years, Corletto claims “no action was taken.”
According to the suit, Corletto “attempted to quit on multiple occasions” but was allegedly pressured to stay, with McClurkin telling him his “deliverance” and “purpose” were tied to the pastor.
McClurkin’s attorney, Greg Lisi, has strongly denied the allegations. “At no time did Pastor McClurkin engage in any form of sexual abuse, assault or sexual coercion of Corletto,” Lisi said in statements to NBC News. He added that the claims “grossly mischaracterise their interactions.” McClurkin rose to prominence in the 1990s and won multiple Grammy Awards, including his first in 2004 for … Again and another in 2010 for best gospel performance.