Gospel star Donnie McClurkin accused of raping, sexually assaulting former male assistant: lawsuit

By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Tuesday, January 06, 2026

A new lawsuit accuses Grammy-winning gospel star Donnie McClurkin, who built his ministry and a church on his powerful testimony of being delivered from a life of abuse and homosexuality, of repeatedly sexually assaulting and raping a man who once served as his personal assistant at Perfecting Faith Church in Freeport, New York.

Perfecting Faith Church did not immediately respond to The Christian Post's request for comment on the lawsuit on Tuesday. Greg Lisi, an attorney for McClurkin, also did not immediately respond to CP's request for comment. But he told NBC News in a statement that the interactions between McClurkin and his former personal assistant, identified as 43-year-old Giuseppe Corletto, are “grossly” mischaracterized. He dismissed the allegations as “categorically false.”

“At no time did Pastor McClurkin engage in any form of sexual abuse, assault, or sexual coercion of Mr. Corletto,” Lisi said.  “The claims set forth in the lawsuit grossly mischaracterize their interactions, which occurred over a decade, and some accusations over 2 decades, ago. All these allegations are contradicted by the real facts.”

In the 15-page complaint filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York last Friday and reviewed by CP, Corletto seeks compensatory damages for McClurkin’s alleged violation of the Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law, sexual battery and sexual assault.

The plaintiff alleges that he first attended McClurkin’s church in August 2003, when he was just 21, after reading the singer’s 2001 book, Eternal Victim, Eternal Victor. McClurkin, who is now 66, shares his testimony about being delivered from homosexuality in the book.

Corletto claims he sought out McClurkin’s ministry for “guidance” because he was “struggling with the acceptance of his sexuality in light of his religious beliefs.” Instead of receiving help, the filing states Corletto became a target for grooming and predation by McClurkin and at least one other member of his team, who began making sexual advances within three weeks of him starting to attend the church.

“After the service on or about August 3, 2003, plaintiff was brought to meet defendant MCCLURKIN, who prayed with him and assured him that defendant would help deliver him from homosexuality,” the lawsuit notes. “Shortly thereafter, one of defendant’s ministers who confessed to plaintiff that he, too, was struggling with his homosexuality, began persistently contacting plaintiff, showing up to plaintiff’s home unannounced, and even making sexual advances toward plaintiff.”

Corletto said he considered leaving the church after the sexual advances until he was directly contacted by McClurkin, who reassured him that the harassing minister was being “dealt with” and that the sexual harassment was just a “’test from God,’” which he passed.

He subsequently developed a mentor-mentee relationship with McClurkin and was soon hired as the gospel star’s personal assistant.

The mentor-mentee relationship would later become confusing for the young Corletto after McClurkin allegedly began groping his genitals “all without his consent” during “‘pray the gay away’ spiritual sessions.”

“Plaintiff struggled to process these incidents of sexual abuse, as defendant was both his mentor and employer, making it difficult for him to speak out about the abuse he had suffered,” the lawsuit notes.

Corletto claims McClurkin would set up scenarios with him and other men, framing them as tests from God to see how he would react. In one instance, the former assistant said McClurkin invited a male model to his hotel room at the Atlantis Resort in Nassau, Bahamas, where they were staying, “in an attempt to coerce” him into sexual activity, but he resisted the model.

“Defendant praised him, laid his hands on plaintiff, and told him that he had passed another test,” the lawsuit said.

The relationship between Corletto and McClurkin took an ugly turn in 2007 during a business trip in California, the lawsuit reads. McClurkin allegedly forcibly performed sexual acts on Corletto and then forced intercourse despite his refusal.

When confronted about it later, McClurkin allegedly claimed he had no recollection of the assault and “blamed his behavior on side effects of his medication," the lawsuit states. 

Corletto's lawsuit alleges multiple other incidents of sexual assault and rape, including at a hotel in Niagara Falls, New York, on June 28, 2013. Corletto claims that after that incident, McClurkin wrote him an email apologizing for his behavior in which he described himself as “the actual epitome of a desperate dirty ‘old man.’”

“I want to apologize for all of my behavior that has been wrong and put you in a wrong place 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 plutonic relationship with someone he wants looks to for help, guidance and spirituality,” McClurkin allegedly wrote in a copy of the email shared in the lawsuit.

“I was trying to go to a realm of sexuality that wasn't right and wasn't right FOR YOU~! (or me, for that matter). I feel so foul ... so stupid. I'm old enough to be your father and want to be something else to you. you don't have that desire for me and I shouldn't have it for you,” it continues. “I forced myself on you ... groping on you ... and when I think about it ... you never really touched me like that at all .... just wanted to sleep together and hug occasionally. … I am really embarrassed at how I am and how I acted.”

The lawsuit also states that the plaintiff returned to McClurkin's church in November 2015 to seek guidance while he "was experiencing mental health struggles."  

"Therein, Defendant MCCLURKIN engaged in further sexual misconduct against Plaintiff, taking advantage of Plaintiff’s vulnerability and currently fragile mental state," the lawsuit adds.