Pastor Donnie McClurkin Once Said He Thought He Was Going to Be Alone Forever

In August 2013, Washington, D.C. was celebrating the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "March on Washington" with a concert titled "Reflections on Peace, From Gandhi to King." The multicultural concert included classical music, traditional Sri-Lankan and Indian songs, traditional hymns, and African-American gospel songs.

One person who was scheduled to perform was gospel singer and pastor Donnie McClurkin. According to the Advocate, McClurkin was told by former mayor Vincent Gray's office that he was not welcome at the event. This decision came on the heels of complaints about McClurkin's previous homophobic messages. The pastor believed prayer helped beat his own homosexuality, which he grappled with and spoke openly about. Did he ever find love and get married? Here's what we know.

McClurkin appeared on TV One's Uncensored in March 2021, where he opened up about the difficulties of finding a partner. He admitted to not knowing what women wanted and, as such, had no idea how to be in a relationship with one. "My past relationships were a sprinkling of everything, men and women," said McClurkin. "I don't know how to do this."

The pastor said his lack of experience and knowledge contributed to his problems with relationships. When things get hard, McClurkin goes back into what he calls his "safe place," which is his music and ministry. "I want to lay down next to somebody that's going to be with me for the rest of my life," said McClurkin. He lamented the fact that he didn't have a spouse and children to raise in order to become the person he saw in his dreams.

McClurkin goes on to share that not only has he never been married, but he's never been in a long-term relationship. "I'm probably gonna be alone for the rest of my life as far as a mate is concerned," he said. He believes happiness is relative and joy is consistent. The gospel singer believes he's only experienced the latter.

In a lawsuit obtained by NBC News, a man by the name of Giuseppe Corletto alleges that McClurkin sexually abused him starting in 2003 when he was 21 years old. Corletto said his struggles with his own sexuality led him to McClurkin’s church in Long Island, N.Y. He was moved by McClurkin's own account of being sexually abused as a child because Corletto said the same thing happened to him.

Corletto met McClurkin after the event, which resulted in a friendship. "At first it was all very innocent and what I thought [was] mentoring," recalled Corletto. Soon, he was attending "pray the gay away" spiritual sessions that were led by McClurkin. The alleged sexual abuse began there and lasted several years. McClurkin reportedly apologized to Corletto in a 2013 email in which he described himself as a "desperate dirty old man."

The email was sent after an alleged incident of sexual assault that took place at a Niagara Falls hotel in 2013. By then, Corletto had been McClurkin's assistant, had left the church, and briefly returned. Following the alleged assault, Corletto became suicidal but ended up cutting off all contact with McClurkin. Finding the email years later was vindication for Corletto, who took legal action under New York City’s Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law.