Madison Square Garden executive James Dolan is facing a sexual assault lawsuit that claims he pressured a masseuse into unwanted sex while his band was touring with the Eagles. And that he facilitated an incident in which Harvey Weinstein assaulted her.
The Lawsuit
The plaintiff filed Tuesday (Jan. 15) in Manhattan federal court. Kellye Croft says that Dolan coerced her into unlawful and unwelcome sex acts” on repeated occasions. This was after he hired her to serve as a massage therapist for the Eagles’ Glenn Frey during the 2013 tour. Croft says she thought the job on the concert tour was “her big break” and the “opportunity of a lifetime.” But she says she quickly realized the real reason she was there.
“Dolan was extremely assertive, and pressured Ms. Croft into unwanted sexual intercourse with him,” writes Croft’s attorney, Douglas Wigdor. “…, her youth and extreme loneliness while on the road with strangers, as well as Dolan’s immense power, made it possible for Dolan to manipulate Ms. Croft … .”
Dolan is the majority owner/CEO of Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp., a live music giant. It operates the famed New York City arena. Moreover, it operates Manhattan’s Radio City Music Hall, the Las Vegas Sphere and other prominent venues.
Defendants
Tuesday’s lawsuit also claims that Dolan later secretly orchestrated a 2014 encounter between Croft and his friend Weinstein. Weinstein is the disgraced film producer whose many sexual assault allegations helped spark the #MeToo movement in 2017. Weinstein is currently serving a decades-long prison sentence after multiple felony charges.
Croft’s lawyers say Dolan arranged the early 2014 meetup, during which Weinstein allegedly invited her to his hotel room. This was under the guise of discussing work opportunities. After she refused his “escalating” behavior, her lawyers say Weinstein, “intruded into Ms. Croft’s hotel room” and proceeded to sexually assault her.
In a response sent to Billboard, Dolan’s attorney, E. Danya Perry, said there was “absolutely no merit to any of the allegations against Mr. Dolan”. Dolan’s attorney also stated the references to Weinstein were “simply meant to inflame.” Perry alleges the claims were an “act of retaliation” by Wigdor. Perry describes him as “an attorney who has brought multiple cases against Mr. Dolan and has not win a judgment against him.”
Mr. Dolan stated he thought Ms. Croft was a good person and is surprised she would follow through with these claims,” Perry wrote. “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.” In his own words, Wigdor said that “our firm has not lost multiple cases to Dolan — that is a fabrication.”
In addition to Dolan and Weinstein, the lawsuit also names several entities owned by The Azoff Company. The private company founded by Irving Azoff. The lawsuit claims that Azoff’s companies enabled Dolan’s alleged abuse.
Responses To The Claims
A representative for Azoff strongly denied the lawsuit’s allegations: “Irving Azoff is not a party to this lawsuit. Neither he nor his companies had any involvement in any alleged misconduct by others.”
An attorney for Weinstein, Jennifer Bonjean, said her client “vehemently denies the meritless allegations in the recently filed lawsuit”. She also stated that he “looks forward to litigating this case in a court of law.”
