Donnie McClurkin, a Grammy-winning gospel singer and pastor, faces a civil lawsuit in New York alleging years of sexual abuse towards Giuseppe Corletto, who sought spiritual guidance from him while grappling with his sexuality in the early 2000s.
Corletto claims he was drawn to McClurkin after reading his autobiographical book about overcoming homosexuality and attending a church event where McClurkin discussed his own childhood trauma, leading to a mentor-mentee relationship that allegedly turned abusive.
The lawsuit describes how Corletto, then 21, experienced what he initially believed was innocent mentoring, which he now views as grooming that escalated into sexual abuse during “pray the gay away” sessions and work-related travel.
After an alleged sexual assault in a Niagara Falls hotel in 2013, McClurkin reportedly emailed Corletto apologizing for his behavior, admitting to feeling like a “desperate dirty ‘old man’” and describing his actions as something he felt “foul” and “stupid” about.
McClurkin, now 66, has denied all allegations through his attorney, who calls the claims “categorically false” and asserts that their interactions have been grossly mischaracterized over more than a decade.
