A lady has accused New York Knicks proprietor and Madison Sq. Lawn Leisure CEO James L. Dolan of pressuring her into undesirable intercourse and arranging an stumble upon with Harvey Weinstein, who may be accused of sexually assaulting her, in keeping with the New York Instances.
In a federal lawsuit filed in Federal District Courtroom in Los Angeles, Kellye Croft accuses each Dolan and Weinstein of sexual attack and forcible touching. As a result of Dolan facilitated Croft’s shipping to California “for functions of intercourse brought on through power, fraud, or coercion,” the Knicks proprietor has additionally been accused of intercourse trafficking.
Douglas H. Wigdor, a legal professional for Croft, stated, “With the submitting of as of late’s criticism, it’s time to after all cling Dolan in control of his outrageous habits.”
Croft was once employed to paintings as a therapeutic massage therapist for the Eagles whilst on excursion in 2013. Dolan, whose band was once opening for the Eagles, booked a therapeutic massage with the then-27-year-old and allegedly dragged Croft to a sofa and compelled her between his legs. In spite of her “adamant” resisting and claims she didn’t need a sexual dating, Dolan allegedly confused her into intercourse. The Madison Sq. Lawn proprietor then “summoned” Croft to his room more than one occasions whilst on excursion and, in keeping with courtroom paperwork, “she felt obligated to put up to intercourse with him.”
Consistent with the lawsuit, Croft rejoined the excursion in Los Angeles in January 2014. Whilst the Eagles had a residency on the Discussion board, the go well with states that the true reason why she got here was once as a result of Dolan “wanted to sexually exploit Ms. Croft.”
Croft says she met Weinstein at the similar shuttle in a gathering allegedly coordinated through Dolan. Weinstein allegedly invited Croft to her room. There, she claims Weinstein requested if she was once “the therapeutic massage therapist” and stated that Dolan spoke extremely of her. Weinstein allegedly requested Croft to take a look at on garments in entrance of him and requested for a therapeutic massage in his mattress. Croft claims that after she walked again to her personal room, Weinstein adopted her in a bathrobe. Consistent with the lawsuit, Weinstein pressured his manner into Croft’s room and sexually assaulted her.
“There may be completely no advantage to any of the allegations in opposition to Mr. Dolan. Kellye Croft and James Dolan had a friendship,” E. Danya Perry, a legal professional representing Dolan, stated in a remark by the use of the TImes. “Mr. Dolan at all times believed Ms. Croft to be a just right individual and is shocked she would agree to those claims. Base line, this isn’t a he stated/she stated topic and there’s compelling proof to again up our place. We look ahead to proving that during courtroom.”
Jennifer Bonjean, a legal professional for Weinstein, stated that his shopper “vehemently denies those meritless allegations and appears ahead to litigating those claims in courtroom of regulation the place the reality can be published,” according to the Instances.
Croft allegedly informed Dolan concerning the stumble upon with Weinstein. Consistent with the courtroom papers, Dolan stated he “was once on no account shocked,” including that Weinstein “was once ‘a bothered individual’ that had numerous ‘critical problems,’ however that his pals had been ‘looking to get him to deal with’ the ones problems.
Dolan didn’t touch upon Weinstein’s historical past of sexual misconduct till he wrote a tune about it along with his band, JD & the Directly Shot, in 2018 known as “I Will have to’ve Recognized.” Dolan later known as the proceedings in opposition to Weinstein “ridiculous” in an interview with ESPN.
Weinstein was once convicted of third-degree rape and first-degree prison intercourse act in New York Preferrred courtroom in February 2020, then convicted of forcible oral copulation, sexual penetration through a international object, and forcible rape in a California courtroom in December 2022. The circumstances carried a mixed sentence of 39 years in jail.
