Editor’s Note: This story contains discussions of rape or sexual assault that may be disturbing. Reader discretion is advised. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can find help and discreet resources on the National Sexual Assault Hotline website or by calling 1-800-656-4673.
(NewsNation) — Grammy-award-winning gospel singer Donnie McClurkin is facing a lawsuit for alleged sexual abuse, reports said.
Giuseppe Corletto claims the “Stand” singer was initially a mentor figure to him, but eventually started assaulting him, and that the assaults lasted several years. Corletto says he was 21 when he first met McClurkin at his church in 2003 through the pastor, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit states when Corletto was McClurkin’s personal assistant, the singer allegedly groped Corletto’s genitals without consent as part of their spiritual sessions. From 2007 to 2015, McClurkin coerced Corletto into further unwanted sexual acts, Corletto claims.
Corletto confided in the church’s staff members about the alleged abuse, but no action was taken, the lawsuit said. He resigned from the church in 2008, but McClurkin allegedly tracked down his location and assaulted him twice.
McClurkin described Corletto’s claims as “profane” and “contrived.” His attorney, Greg Lisi, also called the allegations “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 two decades ago.”