Donnie McClurkin Lawsuit: Corletto’s Allegations and His Denial

Grammy-winning gospel singer and pastor Donnie McClurkin is facing a lawsuit filed January 2, 2026, in New York County Supreme Court by his former personal assistant, Giuseppe Corletto, who alleges McClurkin sexually abused him for roughly twelve years under the guise of spiritual counseling meant to “deliver” him from homosexuality. Through his attorney, McClurkin has called the allegations “categorically false.”¹

What Corletto Alleges

Corletto says he first sought out McClurkin at Perfecting Faith Church in Freeport, Long Island, in August 2003, when he was 21. He had read McClurkin’s 2001 memoir Eternal Victim, Eternal Victor, in which the pastor described being “delivered from homosexuality” through prayer, and he was struggling to reconcile his own sexuality with his faith. According to the complaint, McClurkin prayed with him and promised to help “deliver him from homosexuality.”²

In 2004, Corletto became McClurkin’s personal assistant, a role that required regular travel. The lawsuit says McClurkin framed the relationship as a mentorship modeled on the biblical prophets Elijah and Elisha, creating a dependency that made it difficult for Corletto to speak out.¹

The complaint alleges the abuse began around 2006, when McClurkin started groping Corletto during spiritual counseling sessions meant to “rid” him of his homosexuality. It escalated over the following years to forced sexual acts and rape during work trips. Specific incidents named in the 15-page complaint include a sexual assault at a California hotel in 2007 and a rape at a Niagara Falls hotel in 2013. Corletto also alleges McClurkin would grope him at Perfecting Faith Church before going to preach, and that further abuse occurred during trips to the Bahamas, Orlando, and Boston while he worked for a Christian broadcasting network.¹³

Corletto left the assistant role in 2008, but the lawsuit says the abuse continued through 2015.² He is seeking unspecified monetary damages.³

The 2013 Email at the Center of the Case

A central piece of evidence in the lawsuit is an email Corletto says McClurkin sent him after the 2013 Niagara Falls trip. According to the complaint, which includes a screenshot, McClurkin wrote: “I am the actual epitome of a desperate dirty ‘old man,’ pawning and groping a young man who is just looking for a friendship and close platonic relationship with someone he looks to for help, guidance and spirituality.” The message also allegedly states: “I was horribly wrong trying to force you into something that you were consistently saying no to.”¹

The Los Angeles Times reported that, per court documents, the email also included the line: “I forced myself on you … groping you … and when I think about it … you never touched me like that at all.”⁴

Corletto says he did not find the email until 2025. He told NBC News: “I didn’t make this up. I wasn’t crazy. I felt vindicated in some ways. He’s literally admitting to his guilt.”¹

McClurkin’s Denial

McClurkin’s attorney, Greg Lisi, said in a statement: “At no time did Pastor McClurkin engage in any form of sexual abuse, assault, or sexual coercion of Mr. Corletto. The claims set forth in the lawsuit grossly mischaracterize their interactions, which occurred over a decade, and some accusations over two decades, ago. All these allegations are contradicted by the real facts.” Lisi added that McClurkin “intends to vigorously defend against this lawsuit through the appropriate legal process.”⁵

On January 7, 2026, McClurkin posted his own statement calling the allegations “profane,” “contrived,” and “untrue.” He wrote: “This accusation of salacious engagement or ANY misconduct that harmed, exploited or took advantage of anyone and misused my position, leadership, or influence in any way in these false accusations is emphatically untrue.” He asked his followers to “pray for the accuser, as well” and said he had not yet been formally served.⁶⁷

Why the Case Could Be Filed Now

The lawsuit was filed under New York City’s Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law rather than New York State’s Adult Survivors Act, whose lookback window expired in November 2023.¹ The city law had its own lookback window under a 2022 amendment, but that window closed around March 2025.⁸

A later amendment, NYC Bill 1297-A, took effect January 29, 2026, opening a new 18-month window for civil claims involving gender-motivated violence that occurred before January 9, 2022, regardless of how long ago the conduct took place. It does not require a prior criminal complaint or conviction and permits claims against institutions that enabled or failed to prevent abuse.⁹ Corletto’s suit, filed January 2, 2026, was timed just ahead of that new window’s opening. His attorney is Thomas Giuffra.⁵

No criminal charges have been filed against McClurkin, and Nassau County district attorney officials have confirmed there is no open criminal investigation.³

The Backdrop: McClurkin’s Public Stance on Homosexuality

The allegations are inseparable from McClurkin’s long-standing public testimony that God “delivered” him from homosexuality, a claim he made in his 2001 memoir and has repeated in interviews, describing the deliverance as ongoing rather than complete.¹⁰ In the complaint, Corletto says it was that testimony that drew him to Perfecting Faith Church, and that McClurkin exploited both his spiritual authority and his role as an employer to maintain control. Corletto alleges he was “brainwashed to think that my deliverance was wrapped up in” McClurkin.¹

1
NBC News. Grammy-Winning Gospel Singer, Pastor Accused of Sexually Abusing Young Man
2
Christian Post. Donnie McClurkin Accused of Raping, Sexually Assaulting Assistant
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Newsday. Lawsuit Accuses Donnie McClurkin of Sex Abuse
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Los Angeles Times. Donnie McClurkin Sued Over Sexual Abuse of Assistant
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People. Grammy-Winning Gospel Singer Donnie McClurkin Accused of Sexual Abuse in Lawsuit
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USA Today. Donnie McClurkin Lawsuit: Sexual Abuse Allegations by Giuseppe Corletto
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Christian Today. Donnie McClurkin Denies Rape Claims From Former Parishioner
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NYC Bar Association. NYC Gender-Motivated Violence Act
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SSKB Law. NYC Gender-Motivated Violence Act
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Cross Rhythms. Donnie McClurkin: Gospel Star With a Pastor’s Heart