Gospel music legend and minister Donnie McClurkin has broken his silence about a civil lawsuit accusing him of sexually abusing a former personal assistant.
Giuseppe Corletto filed the complaint in New York County Supreme Court on Jan. 2, as previously reported. He accused McClurkin of “grooming” and allegedly engaging in repeated acts of sexual assault.
Corletto said he met McClurkin after joining his Perfecting Faith Church in Long Island, New York, and later became the pastor’s personal assistant.
McClurkin went live on Facebook Saturday, Jan. 10, to deny the allegations, and suggested Corletto’s claims are motivated by money.
In the video, the Grammy-winning artist began by singing to his followers, said he wanted to personally address “untrue things.”
“I just didn’t want to go any longer without addressing it. I’ve remained silent while this media campaign was launched,” he stated.
McClurkin paraphrased Bible verse James 1:19 about waiting before you speak, and said he was trying to be “delicate” with his comments because of the legal ramifications.
“I’ve remained silent because the Bible tells you to be slow to speak, quick to hear, and slow to anger,” he said.
McClurkin, 66, said he’s been praying about the case. He told his followers he hadn’t spoken to Corletto since 2015, and noted that his accuser is now in his 40s.
“I haven’t seen this fellow in over 11 years… and I haven’t spoken to him since that long either. People do things for different reasons, most of them are monetarily motivated and it’s a shame,” McClurkin said. “To consider yourself or to proclaim yourself a victim of something that didn’t happen discredits the people that it has happened to.”
The “We Fall Down” singer added that the “truth will always prevail.”
Last week his attorney, Greg Lisi, told NBC News the allegations are “categorically false.”
“At no time did Pastor McClurkin engage in any form of sexual abuse, assault, or sexual coercion of Mr. Corletto,” Lisi said in a statement. “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 his complaint, Corletto said he turned to McClurkin for spiritual guidance while struggling with his sexuality. The lawsuit mentioned the pastor previously made public statements saying he was “delivered from homosexuality.”
Corletto said the pastor held spiritual sessions and tried to “pray the gay away.”
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