MSG’s James Dolan and Harvey Weinstein accused of sexual assault in newly filed lawsuit

Madison Square Garden CEO James Dolan and former Hollywood executive Harvey Weinstein sexually assaulted a massage therapist a decade ago, a lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court alleges.

Madison Square Garden CEO James Dolan and former Hollywood executive Harvey Weinstein sexually assaulted a massage therapist a decade ago, a lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court alleges. The suit, filed in Los Angeles, says Kellye Croft, then a 23-year-old massage therapist, met Dolan while on tour with the Eagles in 2013. In one instance, the suit says Dolan “was extremely assertive, and pressured Ms. Croft into unwanted sexual intercourse with him.” While getting a massage, “Dolan pulled Ms. Croft towards him,” the lawsuit claims. “Ms. Croft tried to bring the massage to an end, but Dolan proceeded to come on even stronger, treating Ms. Croft’s resistance as part of a challenge or a game. Dolan then grabbed Ms. Croft’s hands, dragging her to a couch in the same room and forcing her hands between his knees as he sat down. Ms. Croft was adamant that she did not want to have any sexual interactions with Dolan, who was married at the time and over thirty years older than Ms. Croft.” “She felt disgusted and terrified of the situation, but the extreme isolation she felt from others on the tour, coupled with Dolan’s attention to her, his assertions that he would take care of her, and her recognition that this man held immense power over everyone’s position on the tour—including hers—led her to submit to Dolan’s advances,” the lawsuit states. Dolan owns the NBA’s New York Knicks and the NHL’s New York Rangers. “There is absolutely no merit to any of the allegations against Mr. Dolan,” said Dolan’s attorney, E. Danya Perry, in a statement to CNN. “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.”