James Dolan
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The network of Hollywood executives and companies accused of knowing about and encouraging Harvey Weinstein's sex crimes is growing, with a lawsuit filed against James Dolan, the live events mogul behind Madison Square Garden Entertainment and AMC Networks , submitted.
A former massage therapist employed by Dolan accuses him of pressuring her into an unwanted sexual relationship a decade ago and orchestrating an encounter with Weinstein, who she also claimed sexually abused her. She claims Dolan knew about Weinstein's predatory behavior after the incident occurred in 2014, a year before he became a Weinstein Co. board member.
E. Donya Perry, an attorney for Dolan, denied the allegations and called the relationship a “friendship.”
“The references to Harvey Weinstein are purely for outrage and appear to be plagiarized from previous cases against Mr. Weinstein,” she said in a statement. “These claims reflect retaliation by an attorney who has filed multiple lawsuits against Mr. Dolan and has not won and cannot win a judgment against him.”
As Weinstein continues to serve a 39-year prison sentence for rape and assault, high-profile Hollywood companies once linked to the former movie mogul continue to be sued for aiding and abetting alleged assaults. Last year, CAA was named in a lawsuit filed by Julia Ormond, which accused the agency of encouraging her to have a meeting with Weinstein that led to her being attacked, even though her former agents Bryan Lourd and Kevin Huvane were allegedly from his “Propensity for sexual assault and exploitation” knew behavior.” Disney was also sued for negligently shifting responsibility to Weinstein in order to overlook the misconduct and continue to profit from the company's dealings with Miramax. None of the people were named in the Lawsuit named as defendants. CAA and Disney have denied the claims.
In the lawsuit filed Tuesday in California federal court, Kellye Croft says she met Dolan in 2013 when she was 27 and working as a massage therapist on tour with the Eagles. Dolan's band JD & The Straight Shot was the opening act due to his ties to the classic rock group's management company, Azoff Music Management.
According to the lawsuit, in 2014, Dolan began a sexual relationship with Croft, who claimed she was trafficked across the country “under fraudulent pretenses in order for Dolan to engage in unlawful and unwelcome sexual acts with her.” Unlike other tour companions, she emphasizes that she was staying in the same hotel as Dolan and his band and that all expenses were charged to the “JD credit card.”
“She felt disgust and fear at the situation, but also the extreme isolation she felt from the others on the tour, coupled with Dolan's attention to her, his assurances that he would take care of her, and her realization that this Mann had immense power over everyone “Her position on the tour – including hers – caused her to give in to Dolan's advances,” the complaint says.
On January 14, Croft said, Weinstein – who allegedly introduced himself as one of Dolan's “best friends” and asked if she was “the massage therapist” – assaulted her on January 14 as she was waiting for an elevator at her hotel waited and offered to connect her with work opportunities, according to the complaint. She claims Weinstein forced his way into her room after she rejected his sexual advances.
The lawsuit said: “Weinstein then pushed Ms. Croft onto the bed, forcing her down and opening her legs. He stood between her legs, opened his robe, pushed his fingers inside her and held her with his other hand.”
The allegations echo claims from Weinstein's criminal trial in Los Angeles, in which prosecutors argued that Weinstein often cornered his victims in hotel rooms. In that trial, a massage therapist also testified that Weinstein lured her with job opportunities.
When Croft told Dolan about the incident, he reportedly responded that Weinstein was a “troubled individual” who had “serious problems” but that he was getting help, she claims.
The complaint also names MSG Entertainment and the Azoff Company, which manages the Eagles and The Straight Shot. Croft accuses the company and other company defendants of committing sex trafficking by “transporting her to California to perform sexual favors for her.” According to the complaint, Dolan was a “critically important business partner” after Madison Square Garden invested $175 million in Azoff MSG Entertainment and served as a funding source for the Eagles' 2014 tour.
The lawsuit filed Tuesday isn't the first time Dolan has gotten into legal trouble because of his ties to Weinstein. In 2017, he was sued by six women who were attacked by Weinstein for failing to address his “pattern and practice of predatory sexual behavior.” The case was settled in 2021.
In a statement, a spokesman for Weinstein said his client “denies these baseless allegations and looks forward to litigating these claims in a court where the truth will emerge.”
Douglas Wigdor, who represents Ormond in her lawsuit against CAA, also represents Croft.