Madison Square Garden, New York Knicks, and New York Rangers owner James Dolan has been named in a federal lawsuit where he is accused of sexually assaulting a massage therapist. The disgraced heavyweight Harvey Weinstein is also named in the suit.
Kellye Croft, who filed the suit on Tuesday in Los Angeles, claims that Dolan “was extremely assertive, and pressured [her] into unwanted sexual intercourse with him” while she was on tour with the Eagles in 2013. At the time, the 23-year-old worked as a private massage therapist for the late Eagles member Glenn Frey, and Dolan was on the tour as a member of the opening band JD & The Straight Shot.
While on tour, she was giving Dolan a massage when he allegedly pulled her towards him, and while she “tried to bring the massage to an end,” he “proceeded to come on even stronger.” The suit claims Dolan grabbed Croft’s hands, dragged her to a couch in the same room, and forced her hands between his knees as he sat down, though she was adamant she did not want to have sexual intercourse with him, as he was married at the time and over 30 years older than her.
Although the suit claims she felt “disgusted and terrified of the situation,” the “extreme isolation she felt from others on the tour, coupled with Dolan’s attention to her, his assertions that he would take care of her, and her recognition that this man held immense power over everyone’s position on the tour—including hers—led her to submit to Dolan’s advances.”
In a statement to CNN, Dolan’s attorney E. Danya Perry said “there is absolutely no merit to any of these allegations.”
“Mr. Dolan always believed Ms. Croft to be a good person and is surprised she would agree to these claims,” Perry told the news outlet. “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.”
Following the tour, Dolan reportedly flew out to Los Angeles for what she believed was a continuation as her work as a masseuse for the Eagles. However, she claimed Dolan “unlawfully [trafficked] her for his own sexual gratification.” During that trip, Dolan is accused of setting up a meeting in a hotel where Croft was allegedly sexually assaulted by Weinstein. According to the suit, Weinstein forced himself upon her, and during the assault, Dolan reportedly called Weinstein and told Croft “well, you know Jim and I are best friends. He’s going to be very disappointed that you led me on, this won’t look good for you.”
Croft said that it was “not an easy decision for me to come forward and seek justice,” however, “for me, to truly address my trauma, I need to seek accountability.”
“James Dolan manipulated me, brought me to California to abuse me, and then set me up for a vicious attack by Weinstein,” Croft said in a statement. “My hope is that my lawsuit will force Dolan to acknowledge what he did to me and to take responsibility for the harm he has caused.”
Weinstein’s lawyer Jennifer Bonjean told Forbes that he “vehemently denies these meritless allegations and looks forward to litigating these claims in court of law where the truth will be revealed.”
Currently, Weinstein is serving a 23-year prison sentence for rape and assault in New York. He was also sentenced to an addition 16 years by a Los Angeles judge last year. At least 80 people have accused Weinstein of inappropriate behavior — stemming anywhere from unwanted sexual advances to rape.