01/06/2026
Grammy-winning gospel singer and pastor Donnie McClurkin is facing a civil lawsuit in New York that alleges he s*xually abused a former congregant over the course of nearly a decade, accusations his attorney has categorically denied.
The lawsuit, filed Friday in Manhattan Supreme Court, was brought by Giuseppe Corletto, who alleges that McClurkin s*xually assaulted and r***d him repeatedly between 2007 and 2015.
The complaint accuses McClurkin, a prominent figure in gospel music and the longtime pastor of Perfecting Faith Church in Long Island, of exploiting his position of spiritual authority to groom, manipulate and abuse Corletto while framing the alleged conduct as part of religious counseling.
According to the lawsuit, Corletto joined McClurkin’s congregation in 2003 at age 21 after reading the singer’s autobiography, which portrayed homos*xuality as something to be overcome through prayer and devotion. Corletto says he was struggling with his s*xuality and sought McClurkin’s guidance because of the pastor’s public testimony.
What began as mentorship soon escalated, the complaint alleges. Corletto says McClurkin began providing one-on-one spiritual counseling sessions aimed at helping him “pray the gay away,” eventually hiring him as a personal assistant.
The first alleged assault occurred in 2007, when Corletto says McClurkin forced him to engage in oral and a**l s*x in a California hotel room. Read more: https://gayemagazine.visitlink.me/gJSVTg
