The CEO of Madison Square Garden Entertainment and owner of the New York Knicks and New York Rangers, James Dolan, was recently accused of sexual assault and trafficking in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles on Tuesday, which also accused Harvey Weinstein.
In the federal complaint, massage therapist Kellye Croft alleged that Dolan and Weinstein separately sexually assaulted her in 2013 and 2014 while she was working as a private masseuse for the band the Eagles. At the time, she was 27 while Dolan was 58 and Weinstein was 61.
Croft claims that Dolan manipulated her into an abusive sexual relationship during a 2013 tour for his band, “JD and the Straight Shot,” during which they opened for the Eagles.
“Dolan quickly manipulated the vulnerable and isolated woman- who was 30 years younger than him- into a sexual relationship ,” as stated in Croft’s lawsuit, which was filed by attorney Douglas Widgor.
The lawsuit also reports that Dolan “coordinated” a meeting between Croft and Weinstein, which allegedly lead to the movie producer and mogul sexually assaulting her in 2014.
“I have suffered so profoundly because of what James Dolan and Harvey Weinstein did to me years ago, and it was not an easy decision to come forward and seek justice,” Croft claimed in a statement released on Tuesday. “James Dolan manipulated me, brought me to California to abuse me, and then set me up for a vicious attack by Weinstein.”
Dolan, who was a member of the board of directors for Weinstein’s film production company from 2015-2016, was named in a previous sexual assault lawsuit filed against Weinstein in 2017 that alleged he and other members of the board were aware of Weinstein’s conduct but did not interfere.
Weinstein is currently serving a 23-year sentence for a rape and sexual assault conviction in New York that is under appeal. The movie executive was also found guilty in 2022 in Los Angeles for the rape and sexual assault of an Italian actress and model known as Jane Doe 1, and was sentenced for 16 extra years. The Los Angeles sentence is also under appeal.
His attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, has dismissed the allegations in a public statement, claiming “Mr. Weinstein vehemently denies these meritless allegations and looks forward to litigating these claims in a court of law where the truth will be revealed.”
Dolan’s attorney, E. Danya Perry, said there is “absolutely no merit” to Croft’s accusations and references to Weinstein are “simply meant to inflame.”
“Kellye Croft and James Dolan had a friendship,” Perry said in a statement. “Bottom line, this is not a he said/she said matter and there is compelling evidence to back up our position. We look forward to proving that in court.”
Kellye Croft, now 38, is seeking a jury trial and compensation for unspecified damages.
