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New York Knicks owner and The Sphere CEO James Dolan has been accused in a lawsuit of trafficking a female massage therapist to Harvey Weinstein in the 2010s.
The lawsuit, filed today in federal court in California by Kellye Croft, claims James Dolan flew her around the country for his “lewd desires” including setting her up with Weinstein for what she refers to as a “horrific attack.”
“I have suffered so profoundly because of what James Dolan and Harvey Weinstein did to me years ago, and it was not an easy decision to come forward and seek justice,” Croft said in a statement. “But for me, to truly address my trauma, I need to seek accountability,” Croft added.
“James Dolan manipulated me, brought me to California to abuse me, and then set me up for a vicious attack by Weinstein. 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.”
She claims that she was hired as a massage therapist by James Dolan when he and his band, JD and the Straight Shot, were touring with the Eagles in late 2013.
Croft claims in the suit that Dolan grabbed her hands, “dragging her to a couch,” after the second massage she gave him, then pressured her “into unwanted sexual intercourse with him.”
The lawsuit also blames Dolan, the owner of Madison Square Garden, for “facilitating, enabling, and aiding Weinstein in meeting Ms. Croft.”
Croft claims Harvey Weinstein assaulted her on Jan. 21, 2014 and when she told James Dolan about the attack, “Dolan responded to Ms. Croft’s report of sexual assault in a completely matter-of-fact tone, noting that Weinstein was ‘a troubled person’ that had a lot of ‘serious issues,’ but that his friends were ‘trying to get him to address’ those issues.”
Representatives for Dolan and Weinstein have both denied Kellye Croft’s accusations.
“There is absolutely no merit to any of the allegations against Mr. Dolan,” attorney E. Danya Perry told Deadline.
“Kellye Croft and James Dolan had a friendship,” the lawyer continued. “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.
“Mr. 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.”
Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer Jennifer Bonjean said in a statement, “Mr. Weinstein vehemently denies these meritless allegations and looks forward to litigating these claims in a court of law where the truth will be revealed.”
Weinstein is currently in prison serving time after being found guilty on multiple counts of rape and sexual assault.