A federal lawsuit has been filed against James Dolan, the executive chairman and CEO of Madison Square Garden Sports, accusing him of sexual assault and trafficking. The lawsuit, filed by a woman named Kellye Croft, alleges that Dolan sexually assaulted and trafficked her in late 2013 and early 2014.
The lawsuit claims that Dolan pressured Croft into unwanted sexual encounters on multiple occasions after she was hired to work as a massage therapist for a music tour headlined by the Eagles. Dolan, who is also the main executive in charge of the NBA’s New York Knicks and NHL’s New York Rangers, is a blues singer for the band JD & The Straight Shot, which was an opening act during the tour.
According to the lawsuit, Dolan first pressured Croft into having sex with him during a massage appointment, despite her objections. The lawsuit further alleges that she felt obligated to submit to sex with him on multiple occasions during the tour.
Additionally, Croft alleged that she was sexually assaulted by former Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein, and the lawsuit claims that Dolan coordinated a meeting between her and Weinstein in January 2014. The suit states that Weinstein chased Croft into a hotel room and sexually assaulted her, with Croft accusing Dolan of setting her up for the attack by Weinstein.
Croft said she informed Dolan about the alleged Weinstein assault immediately after it happened. However, Dolan denied any knowledge of Weinstein’s misconduct despite being friends with him. Dolan’s lawyer, E. Danya Perry, released a statement denying the allegations, asserting that there is compelling evidence to back up Dolan’s position and expressing confidence in proving it in court.
Weinstein’s lawyer, Jennifer Bonjean, also released a statement, noting that Weinstein denies the allegations and looks forward to litigating the claims in a court of law.