Gospel singer and pastor Donnie McClurkin is strongly denying claims of rape and sexual assault by a former church member and employee. He calls the accusations “contrived and untrue” and asks his supporters to pray for both him and the person who made the claims.
In a statement shared on social media, McClurkin, who is 66 years old, said, “Many of you know about the serious allegations of sexual assault and rape that have been made against me. I want to clearly say these accusations are made up and not true.”
McClurkin, a Grammy winner best known for the song “We Fall Down,” believes he will be proven innocent. He also said, “Sexual violence in any form is a real and painful issue for many people and shouldn’t be used lightly.”
A lawsuit was filed last week in the New York Supreme Court. It says McClurkin sexually assaulted and raped Giuseppe Corletto, who is now 43, starting in the early 2000s when Corletto was about 21. Corletto was a church member and later worked as McClurkin’s personal assistant during some of the alleged incidents.
McClurkin disagreed with Corletto’s story, saying the man is not the “survivor” he claims to be. He wrote, “Real survivors should be heard, protected, and supported. At the same time, the truth is important.”
Corletto said he decided to speak out after recently finding old communications from 2013 that gave him a clearer understanding of his experience.
Donnie McClurkin, who hasn’t been officially served with legal papers yet, said he is cooperating and will “fight hard” to defend himself. He also asked people to pray for the accuser as well.