Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan is currently facing a sexual assault lawsuit filed by a massage therapist, stemming from 2013 allegations that involve convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein. The legal action has been initiated in a California federal court this week. The massage therapist, Kellye Croft, aged 38, alleges that Dolan coerced her into a sexual relationship during her employment as a massage therapist in 2013 for the late Eagles frontman Glenn Frey.
Croft, who was contracted to provide massage services for Frey, had permission to work on other members of both the Eagles and Dolan’s band during the 2013 tour featuring the Eagles and Dolan’s project, JD & The Straight Shot. Notably, Dolan’s business partially funded Croft’s hiring, enabling his band to participate in the Eagles’ residency.
James Dolan (Credits: NBC News)
According to the legal filing, Dolan, after promising to address an incident with Eagles manager Tom Golseth, made a sexual advance toward Croft. Despite her initial disinterest, she ultimately succumbed to his advances due to Dolan’s influential position, resulting in ongoing sexual encounters throughout the tour.
During their stay at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills, Croft encountered Harvey Weinstein, who claimed to be friends with Dolan and sought a masseuse for his movie sets. In a pre-#MeToo era, Croft agreed to discuss the job in Weinstein’s suite, where he allegedly demanded a massage. Croft declined, prompting Weinstein to assert that such situations were commonplace in Hollywood. She managed to escape when a phone call interrupted the encounter.
Weinstein purportedly informed Croft that he and Dolan were best friends and warned her of potential consequences for leading him on. The lawsuit claims that Dolan arranged for Weinstein to meet Croft in the hotel lobby without providing further details. Croft is seeking unspecified damages, asserting that her experiences resulted in a downward spiral of depression and drug use.
Attorneys representing both Dolan and Weinstein have denied the allegations. It is worth noting that Weinstein is currently serving a 39-year prison sentence for sex crimes in Los Angeles and New York. This lawsuit is the latest among those filed within the newly opened window for sexual offenses in California between 2009 and 2019, which will remain open until 2026.
