Photo Credit: JD & The Straight Shot
Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan faces a sexual assault lawsuit from a massage therapist stemming from 2013 allegations, some of which involve convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein.
A massage therapist has filed a sex assault and trafficking lawsuit in California federal court this week against Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan, with allegations stemming from a 2013 tour featuring the Eagles and Dolan’s vanity project, JD & The Straight Shot.
In the filing, the now 38-year-old Kellye Croft claims Dolan pressured her into a sexual relationship while she worked as a massage therapist in 2013 for the late Eagles frontman Glenn Frey.
As part of her deal as a masseuse for Frey, Croft was permitted to massage other members of both the Eagles and Dolan’s band, which were playing together during the former’s Los Angeles residency. Notably, Croft’s hiring was financed in part by Dolan’s business, which also allowed his band to join the Eagles’ residency.
Following an incident with Eagles manager Tom Golseth, Dolan “promised to handle the situation,” after which Golseth was expelled from the tour. Dolan later used the incident as an “in” to make a sexual advance toward Croft at the end of his massage.
Although Croft told him she was uninterested, as Dolan was 30 years her senior and married, she ultimately submitted to his advances “because of Dolan’s position of influence.” This led to ongoing sexual encounters throughout the tour.
During this time, both parties were staying at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills, where Croft encountered Harvey Weinstein while waiting for an elevator. Weinstein approached her and said he was friends with Dolan, and was looking for a masseuse on his movie sets. As this was before the #MeToo movement, Croft agreed to discuss the job in Weinstein’s suite, where he began demanding a massage.
Croft declined, at which point Weinstein allegedly told her that “this is just how people do things in Hollywood,” and if she “(would) not be able to handle things on the fly, you won’t make it in Hollywood.”
She says she left his suite and retreated to her own room, but says Weinstein followed her wearing only a robe, forced her back onto a bed, and attempted to penetrate her. Croft says she was saved by the phone, which rang at that moment and gave her an opportunity to escape.
Weinstein allegedly told Croft that “(Dolan) and I are best friends,” and “he’s going to be very disappointed you led me on; this won’t look good for you.”
The suit contends that Dolan had arranged for Weinstein to encounter Croft at the hotel lobby, but does not elaborate further. Croft is seeking unspecified damages, asserting her experiences led to a downward spiral of depression and drug use.
Attorneys for both Dolan and Weinstein have denied the allegations. Weinstein is currently serving 39 years in prison for sex crimes in Los Angeles and New York.
The lawsuit is the latest to be filed as part of a newly opened window for sexual offenses that took place in California between 2009 and 2019, which remains open until 2026.
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