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A woman filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday accusing James L. Dolan<\/a>, the entertainment and sports mogul behind Madison Square Garden and the New York Knicks, of pressuring her into unwanted sex and then coordinating an encounter with Harvey Weinstein, whom she accused of sexually assaulting her.<\/p>\n The woman, Kellye Croft, says in the court filing that she told Mr. Dolan \u2014 a former friend and business associate of Mr. Weinstein\u2019s \u2014 about the alleged incident after it occurred in early 2014, years before Mr. Dolan made public statements that he had been unaware of Mr. Weinstein\u2019s history of misconduct.<\/p>\n In her suit, filed in Federal District Court in Los Angeles, Ms. Croft says that in late 2013, when she was 27, she was hired to work as a massage therapist on a tour by the classic rock band Eagles. Mr. Dolan \u2014 who moonlights as a blues-rock musician \u2014 was an opening act with his band JD & the Straight Shot.<\/p>\n In court papers, Ms. Croft describes the experience as a dream gig that went awry because of the misconduct of two men who were among the most powerful figures in media and entertainment. First, Ms. Croft\u2019s suit says, she was pressured into unwanted sex with Mr. Dolan, and then found herself alone in a Beverly Hills hotel room with Mr. Weinstein, who chased her down a hallway, held her down and penetrated her against her will.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n In a statement, Ms. Croft said: \u201cJames Dolan manipulated me, brought me to California to abuse me and then set me up for a vicious attack by Weinstein.\u201d<\/p>\n E. Danya Perry, a lawyer for Mr. Dolan, said in a statement: \u201cThere is absolutely no merit to any of the allegations against Mr. Dolan. Kellye Croft and James Dolan had a friendship.\u201d She added: \u201cMr. Dolan always believed Ms. Croft to be a good person and is surprised she would agree to these claims. 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Jennifer Bonjean, a lawyer for Mr. Weinstein, said he \u201cvehemently denies these meritless allegations and looks forward to litigating these claims in a court of law where the truth will be revealed.\u201d<\/p>\n Douglas H. Wigdor, a lawyer for Ms. Croft, said, \u201cWith the filing of today\u2019s complaint, it is time to finally hold Dolan accountable for his outrageous conduct.\u201d<\/p>\n The suit accuses Mr. Dolan of sex trafficking for these incidents, arguing that he facilitated her transport \u201cfor purposes of sex induced by force, fraud, or coercion.\u201d The suit also accuses Mr. Dolan and Mr. Weinstein \u2014 who is serving a 23-year prison sentence for felony sex crimes<\/a> \u2014 of sexual assault and forcible touching.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Ms. Croft\u2019s suit says she was hired to be a tour masseuse for Glenn Frey, one of Eagles\u2019 founding members, who died in 2016<\/a>, but that she was allowed to book massage appointments for other members of the tour. She says Mr. Dolan interceded on her behalf when she had a conflict with a tour manager who was later fired, and that Ms. Croft began to understand how powerful Mr. Dolan was when he had Mr. Frey apologize to her \u201crepeatedly and profusely\u201d about the issue.<\/p>\n Mr. Dolan booked a massage, and at his appointment, the suit says, he dragged Ms. Croft to a couch and forced her hands between his knees. She resisted, she says, and was \u201cadamant\u201d that she did not want any sexual relationship, but he pressured her into sex. According to the court papers, Mr. Dolan \u201csummoned\u201d Ms. Croft to his room multiple times during the tour, and \u201cshe felt obligated to submit to sex with him.\u201d<\/p>\n In January 2014, the suit says, Ms. Croft rejoined the tour in the Los Angeles area, where Eagles had a residency at the Forum. But the suit says the real reason for her presence was that Mr. Dolan \u201cwished to sexually exploit Ms. Croft.\u201d<\/p>\n On that same trip, Ms. Croft says she met Mr. Weinstein in an encounter that the suit alleges was coordinated by Mr. Dolan. While waiting for the elevator at her hotel, Ms. Croft says, she chatted with Mr. Weinstein, who invited her to his room to discuss a job providing massages to actors on movie sets. While the lawsuit says that Mr. Weinstein asked her if she was \u201cthe massage therapist\u201d and said that Mr. Dolan had said great things about her, the suit does not elaborate on its claim that Mr. Dolan had \u201ccoordinated\u201d her encounter with Mr. Weinstein.<\/p>\n The suit says Ms. Croft became uncomfortable when Mr. Weinstein asked her to try on clothes in front of him \u2014 she had just been out shopping, and still had her bags with her \u2014 and then requested a massage on his bed. She began walking down the hall to her own room, but Mr. Weinstein, in a bathrobe, followed her.<\/p>\n Ms. Croft says in her suit that Mr. Weinstein forced his way into her room and began to sexually assault her but stopped when the phone rang.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n It was Mr. Dolan calling, and Mr. Weinstein left her room. According to the suit, Ms. Croft went to Mr. Dolan\u2019s room and told him about the assault. She said in the court papers that Mr. Dolan said he \u201cwas not at all surprised\u201d and that Mr. Weinstein \u201cwas \u2018a troubled person\u2019 that had a lot of \u2018serious issues,\u2019 but that his friends were \u2018trying to get him to address\u2019 those issues.\u201d<\/p>\n Mr. Dolan and Mr. Weinstein had been close friends for years, and Mr. Dolan served as a board member of the Weinstein Company, Mr. Weinstein\u2019s production company, for about a year beginning in 2015.<\/p>\n In 2018, after investigations by The New York Times and The New Yorker exposed Mr. Weinstein\u2019s history of sexual misconduct, and he had been accused of harassment or assault by dozens of women, Mr. Dolan released a song with his band, JD & the Straight Shot called \u201cI Should\u2019ve Known.\u201d<\/a> Its lyrics address a broken friendship:<\/p>\n I should\u2019ve known In interviews publicizing the song, Mr. Dolan connected it to Mr. Weinstein \u201cand others\u201d who were revealed to have assaulted or abused women. \u201cWhat did I miss?\u201d Mr. Dolan said in one interview<\/a>.<\/p>\n He also cast doubt on a lawsuit<\/a> filed in late 2017 by six female victims of Mr. Weinstein, who alleged that a number of men who had served as board members of the Weinstein Company had been aware of Mr. Weinstein\u2019s predatory conduct, and were complicit in covering it up.<\/p>\n \u201cI just think it\u2019s ridiculous,\u201d Mr. Dolan said of the suit in an interview with ESPN<\/a> the following year. The Weinstein Company declared bankruptcy and the suit was eventually settled, but company executives and directors, including Mr. Dolan, were released from claims<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
I should\u2019ve thrown
Myself across his tracks
Stopped him from these vile attacks<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n