In a TODAY exclusive, celebrity pastor T.D. Jakes denied sexual assault allegations made by two brothers against him and said he filed a defamation lawsuit against one of them because "enough is enough."
Jakes spoke with Craig Melvin on March 26 about taking legal action in response to accusations by Duane Youngblood that Jakes tried to sexually assault and groom him in the 1980s.
"I filed the suit because if you don’t ever speak back, it just continues to go on and on and on, and I decided enough is enough," Jakes said.
The founder of The Potter's House, a megachurch in Dallas with 30,000 members, filed a defamation lawsuit on Nov. 25, 2024, in a Pennsylvania court.
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The legal action came after Duane Youngblood went on the YouTube talk show "Larry Reid Live" in October 2024 and said Jakes tried to groom and sexually abuse him when Youngblood, who is now in his late 50s, was 18 or 19, according to the lawsuit.
"From start to finish, Youngblood’s tale of grooming and attempted sexual assault at the hands of Bishop Jakes is patently false," Jakes' attorney said in the lawsuit.
The defamation lawsuit also alleges that Duane Youngblood sent Jakes a letter asking for $6 million to "resolve this matter quickly and privately" in the wake of Youngblood's appearances on the YouTube show, the court document says.
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Jakes alleges that Youngblood, who also was a pastor, is a registered sex offender whose allegations against Jakes are "a desperate attempt to rehabilitate his image and build a new ministry for himself," according to the court document.
Duane Youngblood was convicted of sexual assault of a minor in 2008 and corruption of minors in 2014, according to Pennsylvania's sex offender registry.
Jakes reiterated on TODAY that he "absolutely" denies the allegations.
"I haven’t seen this person for 40 years," Jakes said.
Earlier this year, Duane Youngblood filed a motion to dismiss the defamation lawsuit by Jakes. He also denied any accusations of wrongdoing.
In an affidavit attached to the motion, Youngblood's brother, Richard Youngblood, who is also a pastor, alleged Jakes tried to sexually assault him in the 1980s, according to the Houston news site Chron.com.
When reached for comment by TODAY, the accusers' lawyer reasserted their initial statements denying wrongdoing.
Jakes filed the defamation lawsuit one day after he suffered a medical emergency onstage at his church that he revealed on TODAY was a "massive" heart attack.
He said the lawsuit, which asks for at least $75,000 in damages, came from an accumulation of issues.
"It wasn't just then," Jakes said. "It's been going on all year from different people in different places. We're living in a time of misinformation and disinformation that's hard to live with.
"And I came to a few conclusions," he continued. "No. 1, some people don't see you as an individual, they see you as an opportunity. And we're living in a time right now of people being misaligned and seldom challenged."
Craig asked Jakes if he expects more accusers to be coming forward.
"I don't know where we are right now," he said. "From the looks of last year and how many Black celebrities and celebrities in general have had to endure this kind of stuff, I don't know where we are right now.
"I think that there's a hopelessness and desperateness. Desperate people do desperate things, and they filed a motion to have it dismissed. ... I don't know what's next. I didn't see this coming."
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