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A girl has accused New York Knicks proprietor and Madison Sq. Backyard Leisure CEO James L. Dolan of pressuring her into undesirable intercourse and arranging an encounter with Harvey Weinstein, who can be accused of sexually assaulting her, according to the New York Occasions.
In a federal lawsuit filed in Federal District Court docket in Los Angeles, Kellye Croft accuses each Dolan and Weinstein of sexual assault and forcible touching. As a result of Dolan facilitated Croft’s transport to California “for functions of intercourse induced by pressure, fraud, or coercion,” the Knicks proprietor has additionally been accused of intercourse trafficking.
Douglas H. Wigdor, a lawyer for Croft, stated, “With the submitting of at this time’s criticism, it’s time to lastly maintain Dolan accountable for his outrageous conduct.”
Croft was employed to work as a therapeutic massage therapist for the Eagles whereas on tour in 2013. Dolan, whose band was opening for the Eagles, booked a therapeutic massage with the then-27-year-old and allegedly dragged Croft to a sofa and compelled her between his legs. Regardless of her “adamant” resisting and claims she didn’t need a sexual relationship, Dolan allegedly pressured her into intercourse. The Madison Sq. Backyard proprietor then “summoned” Croft to his room a number of occasions whereas on tour and, in response to court docket paperwork, “she felt obligated to undergo intercourse with him.”
In accordance with the lawsuit, Croft rejoined the tour in Los Angeles in January 2014. Whereas the Eagles had a residency on the Discussion board, the go well with states that the true cause she got here was as a result of Dolan “wished to sexually exploit Ms. Croft.”
Croft says she met Weinstein on the identical journey in a gathering allegedly coordinated by Dolan. Weinstein allegedly invited Croft to her room. There, she claims Weinstein requested if she was “the therapeutic massage therapist” and stated that Dolan spoke extremely of her. Weinstein allegedly requested Croft to strive on garments in entrance of him and requested for a therapeutic massage in his mattress. Croft claims that when she walked again to her personal room, Weinstein adopted her in a bathrobe. In accordance with the lawsuit, Weinstein pressured his manner into Croft’s room and sexually assaulted her.
“There may be completely no advantage to any of the allegations towards Mr. Dolan. Kellye Croft and James Dolan had a friendship,” E. Danya Perry, a lawyer representing Dolan, stated in a press release by way of the TImes. “Mr. Dolan at all times believed Ms. Croft to be a very good particular person and is shocked she would agree to those claims. Backside line, this isn’t a he stated/she stated matter and there’s compelling proof to again up our place. We stay up for proving that in court docket.”
Jennifer Bonjean, a lawyer for Weinstein, stated that his consumer “vehemently denies these meritless allegations and appears ahead to litigating these claims in court docket of legislation the place the reality will probably be revealed,” per the Occasions.
Croft allegedly advised Dolan in regards to the encounter with Weinstein. In accordance with the court docket papers, Dolan stated he “was under no circumstances shocked,” including that Weinstein “was ‘a troubled particular person’ that had numerous ‘severe points,’ however that his buddies had been ‘attempting to get him to deal with’ these points.
Dolan didn’t touch upon Weinstein’s historical past of sexual misconduct till he wrote a song about it together with his band, JD & the Straight Shot, in 2018 known as “I Ought to’ve Identified.” Dolan later known as the lawsuits towards Weinstein “ridiculous” in an interview with ESPN.
Weinstein was convicted of third-degree rape and first-degree legal intercourse act in New York Supreme court docket in February 2020, then convicted of forcible oral copulation, sexual penetration by a international object, and forcible rape in a California court docket in December 2022. The circumstances carried a mixed sentence of 39 years in jail.
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