Another man has come forward, accusing Megachurch Pastor T.D Jakes of sexual misconduct. The Rev. Richard Edwin Youngblood, who is the brother of another pastor who accused Jakes of misconduct, claims the Texas-based pastor climbed into his bed on a business trip. He made the allegations in response to the defamation lawsuit Jakes filed against his brother, Duane Youngblood.
Richard Youngblood and six others signed sworn documents supporting his brother’s accusations. In addition, he recounted his own story of abuse. Richard explained how, in the 1980s, he worked as a worship leader in Jakes’ first church. He described how “things started to become weird.” He detailed an allegation concerning a business trip the pair took together.
Jakes booked the men a single room with two beds on this trip. “That night, while I was laying in my bed, I felt Elder Jakes climb into my bed. He pressed his body against mine and asked, ‘Youngblood, do you feel that?’” he explained. “He was referencing his erection that he was pressing against my back side.” He also described how the megachurch pastor attempted to kiss him.
After the incident, Jakes berated Youngblood for taking his story to Chruch’s leadership. These allegations were made in a legal response to Jake’s defamation lawsuit against Duane Youngblood. Duane claimed on a podcast that Jakes tried to abuse him sexually. In the lawsuit, T.D. Jakes denied the allegations and sought punitive damages.
Tyrone A. Blackburn, Duane Youngblood’s lawyer, filed a motion to dismiss the suit. “This lawsuit is a textbook example of a powerful entity attempting to silence a survivor of alleged clergy abuse,” Blackburn told reporters. “The court must weigh not only the legal arguments but also the broader implications this case has for free speech, survivor advocacy, and institutional accountability.”
The filings included a statement that read, “Recent events have further exacerbated Mr. Youngblood’s trauma,” and mentioned a “message perceived as carrying a direct threat of harm, from Jermaine Jakes, the son of Bishop T.D. Jakes.” This message was recorded as ” You might be in dangerous territory Duane… just b careful…” The younger Jakes was slapped with a police complaint, not for his grammar, but for harassment.
A lawyer representing T.D. Jakes responded to the new claims. “Duane Youngblood’s latest filing, including the self-serving affidavit from his brother Richard, is replete with his continued baseless allegations and is just more of the same from him and his attorneys,” he said. “Our response, due on February 14, will be robust and thorough and demonstrate just how meritless Mr. Youngblood’s claims are.” The lawsuit tied the allegations to a significant health scare, where Jakes collapsed at a church service short after the claims were made.
Watch Jakes Speak Out After He Collapsed in Dramatic Fashion:
“The motion to dismiss was filed to protect my client’s constitutional right to free speech and to challenge what we believe is a meritless lawsuit aimed at suppressing a critical public discourse,” said Youngblood’s lawyer. “This case is not only about Mr. Youngblood’s personal experiences but also about systemic issues of abuse within religious institutions that have remained unaddressed for too long.”
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