Harvey Weinstein And Knicks Owner James Dolan Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Massage Therapist - Forbes

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Topline​

James Dolan, the owner of the New York Knicks and New York Rangers, has been named in a new federal lawsuit that accuses him of trafficking a private massage therapist over a decade ago and setting her up for an encounter with disgraced former Hollywood heavyweight Harvey Weinstein that ended in her being raped—allegations denied by both men’s attorneys.

Key Facts​

Kellye Croft, who was 27 years old and working as a private massage therapist for late Eagles band member Glenn Frey on a tour in 2013, claims in the suit she was manipulated into sexual acts with Dolan, then 58, who was also on the tour as a member of opening band JD & The Straight Shot.


After the tour, Dolan flew Croft to Los Angeles for what she believed to be a continuation of her work as a masseuse for the Eagles but was instead an instance of Dolan “unlawfully (trafficking) her for his own sexual gratification,” the lawsuit reads.


On that trip to Los Angeles, Croft claims Dolan arranged for her to meet his "close friend” Weinstein in her hotel room in 2014, and Weinstein then forced himself upon her until a phone call from Dolan to the room interrupted the encounter.


Upon hearing Dolan on the phone, Weinstein allegedly 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.”


The lawsuit, which was filed in Los Angeles federal district court and seeks unspecified monetary damages, names Dolan, Weinstein, JD & The Straight Shot, the Azoff Company and Azoff MSG Entertainment—companies of music manager Irving Azoff—as defendants.


Danya Perry, a lawyer representing Dolan, told Forbes “there is absolutely no merit to any of the allegations against Mr. Dolan.”


Jennifer Bonjean, Weinstein’s lawyer, said in a statement he “vehemently denies these meritless allegations and looks forward to litigating these claims in court of law where the truth will be revealed.”

Crucial Quote​

"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.”

Chief Critic​

“Kellye Croft and James Dolan had a friendship. The references to Harvey Weinstein are simply meant to inflame and appear to be plagiarized from prior cases against Mr. Weinstein. These claims reflect an act of retaliation by an attorney who has brought multiple cases against Mr. Dolan and has not won, and cannot win, a judgment against him,” Perry said in a statement.



Producers Harvey Weinstein and James Dolan speak onstage during the 2013 Toronto International Film ... [+] Festival at TIFF Bell Lightbox on Sept. 9, 2013.

Getty Images

Key Background​

Weinstein is currently serving a 23-year prison sentence for rape and sexual assault in New York and was last year sentenced to an additional 16 years by a Los Angeles judge. The breaking of Weinstein's decades of misconduct in 2017 sparked the #MeToo movement and led to widespread criticism of what actor Seth Rogen called a "wink and acceptance of that type of behavior" in Hollywood. While many of the film industry’s biggest stars have said they were unaware of any allegations against him, others have denied that. Dolan, known to be a longtime friend of Weinstein who served on the board of the Weinstein Company, also claimed he didn't know about his behavior. In 2018, Dolan’s band JD and the Straight Shot put out a song titled "I Should’ve Known" about the Weinstein scandal, which includes lyrics like “I should have thrown myself across his tracks/stopped him from these vile attacks.” In an interview about the song, Dolan said “That’s almost really what the song is — what did we miss? Because if you were friends with any of those people, a lot of them were people we never would have thought that about.” Madison Square Garden, which Dolan owns, was found liable by a jury trial in 2009 of the sexual harassment of former Knicks executive Anucha Browne Sanders by coach Isiah Thomas.

Big Number​

At least 80. That's how many people have accused Weinstein of inappropriate behavior, ranging from unwanted sexual advances to forcible rape. The list includes Ashley Judd, Rose McGowan, Gwyneth Paltrow, Salma Hayek, Angelina Jolie and others.

Forbes Valuation​

Dolan is the CEO of Madison Square Garden Co., which owns the NBA's New York Knicks and the NHL's New York Rangers. Dolan’s father, Charles Dolan, sold the cable TV Company he founded, Cablevision, for $17.7 billion in 2016. The Dolan family is worth an estimated $4.8 billion. James Dolan reportedly earns a minimum of $26.5 million annually for his roles as executive chairman of MSG Sports and CEO of MSG Entertainment, which owns the Madison Square Garden venue. The Weinstein Company, the film studio founded by brothers Bob and Harvey Weinstein, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on March 19, 2018.

Further Reading​

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