EXCLUSIVE: Gospel Star Donnie McClurkin Hit With Bombshell Lawsuit Alleging Years of Sexual Abuse
Media Take Out has learned that one of gospel music’s most famous voices is now facing devastating accusations that could shake the church world to its core.
Grammy-winning singer and megachurch pastor Donnie McClurkin has been named in a newly filed lawsuit in Manhattan Supreme Court, where a man says the celebrated preacher sexually abused him for years while pretending to “mentor” him and help him “pray away” his sexuality.
The accuser, Giuseppe Corletto, says he first sought out McClurkin in 2003 when he was just 21 years old, deeply conflicted about his sexuality and desperate for spiritual guidance. Corletto says he was inspired by McClurkin’s own story, told in his book Eternal Victim, Eternal Victor, in which the gospel star claimed God helped him overcome what he called the “curse” of homosexuality.
At a church event in Long Island, Corletto says McClurkin spoke about being sexually abused as a child. That moment, he says, made him feel understood. Afterward, he was brought to meet the pastor privately. What he thought was compassion, he now says, was something far more dangerous.
“At first it felt like mentoring,” Corletto has said. “Now I believe I was being groomed.”
According to the lawsuit, McClurkin began touching Corletto during private “pray the gay away” sessions. Over time, the alleged abuse escalated. Corletto later became McClurkin’s assistant, traveled with him for church work, and says the assaults followed him on the road.
One of the most shocking claims involves an alleged attack in a Niagara Falls hotel in 2013. After that incident, Corletto says McClurkin sent him an email apologizing for what happened. In that message, quoted in the lawsuit, McClurkin allegedly referred to himself as a “dirty ‘old man’” and admitted trying to force Corletto into something he had repeatedly said no to.
“I feel so foul…so stupid,” McClurkin allegedly wrote. “I was horribly wrong trying to force you into something you were consistently saying no to.”
For Corletto, that email became proof that what he endured was real.
“I didn’t make this up. I wasn’t crazy,” he said. “I felt vindicated.”
The lawsuit paints a disturbing picture of manipulation inside the church. Corletto says McClurkin used scripture to guilt him into staying silent, comparing their relationship to biblical mentor-protege figures. He says he tried multiple times to quit his job, but was pulled back in by spiritual pressure and emotional control.
The alleged abuse, according to the lawsuit, even took place at McClurkin’s own church. Corletto claims the pastor would touch him in secret just before going out to preach, leaving him shaken and in tears during services. Those tears, he says, were then used by McClurkin to inspire emotional reactions from the congregation.
The impact on Corletto’s life was devastating. He says he became depressed, suicidal, and consumed by shame. He eventually left the church in 2008, but says McClurkin continued to pursue him for years. It was not until recently, when he rediscovered the apologetic email, that he decided to come forward publicly.
McClurkin’s attorney, Greg Lisi, has strongly denied the allegations, calling them “categorically false.” Lisi said in a statement that McClurkin never engaged in sexual abuse, assault, or coercion and that the claims “grossly mischaracterize” their interactions from decades ago.
Still, the lawsuit has already sent shockwaves through gospel and religious communities.
McClurkin, now 66, is one of the biggest names in gospel music, with three Grammy Awards and millions of albums sold. His career was famously boosted after Oprah Winfrey named his album one of her “Favorite Things.” He has also long been controversial for his outspoken views on homosexuality, repeatedly claiming it can be overcome through faith.
Corletto says he once believed that message with his whole heart.
Today, he says he has rebuilt his life. He is married, no longer suicidal, and finally at peace with who he is.
“I lost my religion and my community,” he said. “But I found myself, my family, and my peace.”
As this case moves forward under New York’s Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law, the allegations threaten to permanently alter the legacy of one of gospel music’s most powerful figures.
And as always, Media Take Out will be watching every twist in this explosive story.