Brother of TD Jakes’ accuser claims megachurch pastor tried to sexually assult him too: affidavit

By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Tuesday, January 28, 2025

Bishop T.D. Jakes. | Creative Commons/T.D. Jakes Ministries/ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mr._T.D._Jakes.jpg

Pastor Richard Edwin Youngblood — the older brother of Duane Youngblood, whom Bishop T.D. Jakes of The Potter's House hit with a defamation lawsuit last year for alleging the megachurch pastor sexually assaulted him when he was a teenager some 40 years ago — has accused Jakes of trying to sexually assault him, too.

Richard Youngblood's claim is among multiple sworn affidavits supporting his brother included in a 167-page motion filed last Thursday seeking to dismiss Jakes' defamation lawsuit pursuant to Pennsylvania's anti-SLAPP statute. The filing was reviewed by The Christian Post.

"He secured a room with two beds in it, and we went to the room for the night. 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 was referencing his erection that he was pressing against my backside," Richard Youngblood wrote in an affidavit filed with a federal court in Pennsylvania.

"I got up out of bed in complete shock as he also [got] up from the opposite side and met me. He grabbed me by my arms and pulled me to him and started trying to kiss me. At this point, I cannot believe what is happening to me."

Others who have made sworn affidavits in support of Duane Youngblood's claims are Jeffrey S. Gray, who also shared Duane Youngblood's disclosures about Jakes; Daniel B. Spaulding; LaShawn Youngblood; Joshua Munoz; and Landon Claybourne.

In addition to his previous claim, Duane Youngblood alleges in the motion that since he has gone public, Jakes and his associates "have engaged in retaliatory conduct to silence him."

According to the motion, Duane Youngblood reported "receiving threats from individuals associated with Plaintiff, including his son."

The Christian Post requested comment on the motion from The Potter's House. A response is pending. 

The SLAPP acronym in Pennsylvania's anti-SLAPP statute stands for Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation. It was signed into law by Gov. Josh Shapiro last July, Bochetto & Lentz notes. The statute allows, among other things, a defendant in a defamation lawsuit to file an early motion to dismiss the case on the grounds that the defamation claim is frivolous.  

Duane Youngblood's attorney, Tyrone A. Blackburn, contends that his client's allegations against Jakes are protected public expression because they are addressing matters of significant public concern, "including systemic abuse and institutional accountability within religious organizations."

Blackburn argues that Jakes has yet to demonstrate "falsity, actual malice, or actionable harm" from the claims of his client.

"Allowing Plaintiff's claims to proceed would violate public policy, as it would chill constitutionally protected speech on matters of public concern and contradict the legislative intent of Pennsylvania's Anti-SLAPP statute," Blackburn argues.

"Plaintiff, Thomas Dexter 'T.D.' Jakes, a self-proclaimed spiritual leader revered by millions, has weaponized this lawsuit not to seek justice but to muzzle the voice of truth. His hypocrisy is staggering — standing in the pulpit on Sundays to preach virtue while allegedly engaging in depraved acts betraying the principles he claims to uphold," Blackburn states.

"As Scripture warns, 'Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves' (Matthew 7:15). Plaintiff epitomizes this warning, using his platform to project an image of righteousness while allegedly abusing his power to satisfy his closeted homosexual desires," the motion adds.

Duane Youngblood, 58, a former-pastor-turned-registered sex offender, claimed in interviews with internet personality Larry Reid on his "Larry Reid Live" show on Oct. 28 and Nov. 3, 2024, that the now 67-year-old Jakes sexually assaulted him when he was about 18 or 19 years old.

Lawyers for Jakes argued in a 20-page defamation lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in western Pennsylvania last November that Duane Youngblood had conspired with others to extort Jakes. They pointed to his history of abusing minors, for which he has served time.

Duane Youngblood is currently on parole under the supervision of Pennsylvania's Department of Parole. He was charged with inappropriately touching two teenage victims while he was counseling them between 2009 and 2011. In one instance, he reportedly engaged the victim on about 25 occasions.

Despite his brother's failures, 62-year-old Richard Youngblood alleges in his affidavit that he, too, was attacked by Jakes in a hotel room as a young minister. He added that his younger brother told him about his own encounter years ago as well.

According to his sworn testimony, Richard Youngblood was about 28 in the fall of 1990 when he spoke with his then 24-year-old younger brother about what happened between him and Jakes in the spring of 1986 when he was about 24. 

Richard Youngblood said he was a young minister praying for God's direction in his life at the time when his father told him about Elder T.D. Jakes, who was a guest speaker at The Refuge Temple Church in Penn Hills, Pennsylvania.

When he saw Jakes preach at a week-long revival crusade, he was impressed and began harboring ideas of Jakes helping him in his ministry ambitions. He soon connected with Jakes, who is five years older than him.

"On one of the nights of the revival, Jakes mentioned that he would be heading home to West Virginia for the weekend to his home church but returning to Pittsburgh at another church the following week. Following one of the services that week, I asked Elder Jakes if I could drive him to his church in West Virginia since he was returning the following week. To my shock, he said yes," Richard Youngblood recalled.

He said he stayed in Jakes' home that weekend and met his wife and two sons. After a series of discussions, Richard Youngblood moved his young family to West Virginia to join Jakes' ministry, Temple of Faith.

Richard Youngblood was quickly elevated to serve as Jakes' armorbearer. In that position, he served as Jakes' assistant, driving him around and making sure he had what he needed for ministry. He would also become the praise and worship leader. After the birth of his son in June 1987, Richard Youngblood said the relationship between him and Jakes started getting "weird."

"This is my landmark of when things started to become weird. The conversations Jakes started to have with me had shifted from ministry and God to more things about him. He shared an uncomfortable story about how he taught his wife to have oral sex with him. There were other uncomfortable things he said which I tried very hard to put into perspective so that it would make sense for me," the affidavit states.

He stated that Jakes' then Temple of Faith was part of a larger organization called the Greater Emmanuel Apostolic Faith Tabernacle Inc. When Jakes got promoted to bishop, he began traveling to churches in the organization nationally.

In 1988, the year Jakes became bishop, he had to attend a mandatory meeting. Jakes asked Richard Youngblood to travel with him to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was during this trip that Richard Youngblood alleges Jakes propositioned him.

"He asked me to accompany him as his driver which I was happy to do because I would get the opportunity to visit with my parents and siblings. He decided that we would head there a day early which meant we had to get a hotel for the night. We stopped at what I believe was an EconoLodge in Westover WV," Richard Youngblood writes.

Richard Youngblood said that the room Jakes booked had two beds. After going to bed for the night, the filing claims Jakes climbed into Richard Youngblood's bed and rubbed his body against Youngblood's backside. After jumping out of bed in shock, Richard Youngblood concluded that Jakes tried to groom him. He said Jakes was kept at bay the rest of the night. 

"On our way back after the meeting, I brought up what happened and expressed my extreme discomfort and that I loved my wife," Richard Youngblood's filing reads. "His response was a slight grunt something like 'hmmm' to which I asked what that meant and he responded that it kind of hurt his feelings to hear me say that. I am now more confused than ever about what I have gotten myself and family into."

Richard Youngblood said he contacted an elder in his church named Silas Wheeler about what happened in the hotel room. He claims Wheeler shared his story with Jakes, who allegedly retaliated.

"Jakes subsequently calls me into his office where he berates me for sharing what happened. He says, 'It was like Wheeler was in the hotel with a camera.' He then says, 'You didn't care about my wife' to suggest she may find out his secret," Youngblood wrote.

Youngblood said he asked another minister who shared a duplex with him if Jakes ever tried anything sexually with him. And he said, "I've never been woke up with nothing like that."

He said he began questioning himself internally about what he might have done to make Jakes think he was gay.

"Eventually, he told me that I could no longer attend his church, called my wife, told her that I was a liar and to beware of me and also that even though I was no longer allowed to attend the church, she could. I called him after being told this from my wife and shared some choice words," Richard Youngblood writes.

"From that day until recent years, I have had mental and spiritual anguish as I was left to bear such a burden as the secret of Jakes' sexuality and the way in which I found out. It's been 39 years of my life, my now ex-wife and our children, products of a broken home and our faith crushed to pieces," he adds. "All because I simply wanted someone to help me become my best self. I was totally and completely deceived by Thomas Dexter Jakes. (T.D. Jakes)."