A Tennessee woman filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday accusing James Dolan, president of Madison Square Garden and governor of the New York Knicks and New York Rangers, of pressuring her into unwanted sexual relations nearly a decade ago and at the same time facilitate a meeting with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. , who, according to her, also sexually assaulted her.
In the lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California and obtained by ESPN, Kellye Croft says she was 27 years old and working as a licensed massage therapist when she met Dolan in the fall of 2013, while on vacation. tours with a rock band. , the Eagles. (Dolan's band, JD & The Straight Shot, opened for the Eagles during the tour.)
During one encounter, the lawsuit alleges, Dolan became “extremely assertive and pressured Ms. Croft into having unwanted sexual relations with him.” In subsequent encounters, the lawsuit alleges, Croft was summoned to Dolan's room, where she made “unwelcome advances toward Mrs. Croft, and she felt compelled to submit to having sexual relations with him.”
Croft alleged that in January 2014, Dolan helped her arrange her trip to Los Angeles to join the tour. There, Croft alleged, she met Weinstein at the Beverly Hills Hotel, where Dolan was paying for her stay. Weinstein, she alleged, introduced himself as one of Dolan's “best friends” and then asked her if she was the masseuse Dolan had previously mentioned and praised.
She accused Weinstein of sexually assaulting her at the hotel, after which she informed Dolan, who allegedly responded by telling her that Weinstein was “a problematic person” with “serious problems.” The incident predated Weinstein's conviction for years of sexual abuse following 2017 investigative reports by both The New York Times and The New Yorker.
That alleged incident also predated Dolan's comments that he did not know that Weinstein, who had been a close friend, was allegedly a serial abuser of women. In 2018, Dolan, who served on The Weinstein Company's board of directors in 2015 and 2016, released a song with his band titled “I Should've Known,” which he later connected, in part, to Weinstein. .
ESPN typically does not name sexual assault victims, but Croft issued a public statement Tuesday, saying in part: “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 take responsibility for the harm he has caused.”
Croft, now 38, is seeking a jury trial and unspecified damages.
E. Danya Perry, Dolan's attorney, dismissed the allegations.
“There is absolutely no merit to any of the allegations against Mr. Dolan. Kellye Croft and James Dolan had a friendship,” Perry wrote in a statement provided to ESPN. “The references to Harvey Weinstein are simply intended to inflame and appear to be plagiarism of previous cases against Mr. Weinstein. These statements reflect an act of retaliation by an attorney who has filed multiple cases against Mr. Dolan and has not won, and cannot win, a lawsuit against him. Mr. Dolan always believed that Mrs. Croft was a good person and is surprised that she accepted these claims.
“Simply put, this is not a 'he said/she said' matter and there is compelling evidence to support our position. We look forward to proving that in court.”
Jennifer Bonjean, Weinstein's attorney, said in a statement provided to ESPN that Weinstein “vehemently denies the baseless allegations in the recently filed lawsuit. We look forward to litigating this case in a court of law where the truth will be revealed.”
Weinstein, who was originally sentenced to 23 years in prison for sexual assault, had an additional 16 years added last year for rape and sexual assault in a separate case.
During a press conference Tuesday to announce that the 2026 NBA All-Star Game will be held at the LA Clippers' soon-to-open Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver responded to an ESPN reporter's question about the lawsuit.
“I saw the article and I don't know anything else about it other than having read it,” Silver said, “so we'll sit tight and wait for more information.”
In a statement to ESPN, Douglas H. Wigdor, Croft's attorney, responded to Silver's comments.
“That's a puzzling response from the Commissioner,” Wigdor told ESPN. “No president in good standing in corporate America would 'sit by' and 'wait' after reading that a federal complaint was filed against one of his executives alleging sexual assault and sex trafficking. The NBA and NHL should be no different. “We are fully prepared to participate in any fair and impartial investigation conducted by both commissioners, as these allegations are relevant to the integrity and public trust of the respective leagues.”
ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk contributed to this report.
