Federal lawsuit accuses NY Knicks owner James Dolan, media mogul Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault

NY Knicks owner James Dolan is accused of sexually assaulting a woman, who was then set up to be molested by Weinstein.

A woman has filed a federal lawsuit in Los Angeles alleging that New York Knicks owner James Dolan sexually assaulted her and then set her up to be molested by Harvey Weinstein. The plaintiff, Kellye Croft, was a licensed massage therapist working on a tour for The Eagles in 2013 when the alleged incidents occurred. Dolan, who was 58 at the time, is accused of using his power and influence to manipulate and pressure Croft into submitting to sex with him. The lawsuit also states that Dolan flew Croft to Los Angeles, where he continued to exploit her and arranged a meeting between her and Weinstein, who allegedly sexually assaulted her in a hotel room.

Croft claims that when she told Dolan about the assault, he did not seem surprised and did not offer to help her report the incident to the police. She alleges that Dolan knew about Weinstein's misconduct toward women and dismissed the gravity of the situation. Croft's attorney, Douglas Wigdor, has represented multiple lawsuits against Weinstein and Dolan, including a 2017 case where members of the board were accused of being aware of Weinstein's conduct but did not try to stop it.

Dolan's attorney has called Croft's complaint "an act of retaliation," while Croft is seeking a jury trial and unspecified damages. Dolan's attorney maintains that there is "absolutely no merit" to Croft's allegations and looks forward to proving their position in court. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver did not comment specifically on the allegations, and Weinstein's attorney has dismissed Croft's assertions.

Weinstein is currently serving a 23-year sentence for a rape and sexual assault conviction in New York and was also found guilty in Los Angeles in 2022. The Madison Square Garden organization has been the subject of multiple lawsuits under Dolan's ownership, most notably when former team executive Anucha Browne Sanders alleged she was sexually harassed by former team president Isiah Thomas. Dolan backed Thomas, who was never found personally liable, and Browne Sanders was awarded $11.6 million by a jury in 2007.

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