Who is Kellye Croft? Massage Therapist files lawsuit against MSG chairman James Dolan and Harvey Weinstein for trafficking

Kellye Croft, a massage therapist filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday, January 16, 2024, accusing James L. Dolan, the owner of Madison Square Garden and the New York Knicks, of pressuring her into unwanted s*x. She has claimed that Dolan also set her up for a “vicious” assault by the convicted r*pist and American movie producer Harvey Weinstein.

Disclaimer: The article contains mentions of s*xual assault, abuse, and coercion. Reader's discretion is advised.

As per Forbes, James has been a known friend and former business associate of the disgraced Hollywood producer. The federal lawsuit states that Dolan trafficked Kellye Croft, who was 27 at the time, “for purposes of sex induced by force, fraud, or coercion”.

Weinstein is currently serving a 23-year sentence for a r*pe and s*xual assault conviction in New York that is under appeal, as per The New York Times.

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Harvey Weinstein and Knicks owner James Dolan accused of trafficking massage therapist Kellye Croft

James Lawrence Dolan is an American businessman who is the CEO of Madison Square Garden Entertainment. He also owns two of the most valuable pro sports franchises in North America, the NBA's New York Knicks and the NHL's New York Rangers, both of whom play home games at the famous Madison Square Garden.

On Tuesday, Dolan was accused of trafficking a private massage therapist over a decade ago. He is accused of allegedly setting up 27-year-old Kellye Croft for an encounter with disgraced former Hollywood heavyweight Harvey Weinstein. The incident ended in her being r*ped. Both men's lawyers have denied the allegations, as per The Guardian.

Back in 2013, Kellye Croft was working with Dolan's JD & the Straight Shot band member Glenn Frey on a tour. The lawsuit has claimed that James “summoned” Croft to his room on multiple occasions during the tour and “pressured” her into unwanted s*x. The alleged r*pe by Weinstein took place in a Los Angeles hotel room the following year during a meeting Kellye Croft put together by Dolan, as per The New York Post.

Dolan has been a known friend to Harvey and he was briefly a board member of the Weinstein Company. The federal lawsuit referred to James L. Dolan’s 2018 song I Should’ve Known, written about his relationship with Weinstein, as per Forbes. The filings mentioned Kellye Croft, stating,

"She needs the world to know: James Dolan unlawfully trafficked her for his own s*xual gratification and knew about Weinstein’s predatory behavior well before he published his musical mistruths."

The lyrics to the track include the line, "I should’ve known, I should’ve thrown myself across his tracks, stopped him from these vile attacks."

James's lawyer Danya Perry, has denied the claims made by Kellye Croft. The attorney stated on Tuesday that,

"There is absolutely no merit to any of the allegations … Kellye Croft and James Dolan had a friendship. The references to Harvey Weinstein are simply meant to inflame and appear to be plagiarized from prior cases against Mr Weinstein. Mr Dolan always believed Ms Croft to be a good person and is surprised she would agree to these claims."

He went on to conclude that, "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."

Ms. Croft issued a public statement,

"James Dolan manipulated me, brought me to California to abuse me and then set me up for a vicious attack by Weinstein. My hope is that my lawsuit will force Dolan to acknowledge what he did to me and to take responsibility for the harm he has caused."

As per AP News, Weinstein was arrested in May 2018 and charged with r*pe in New York, and in February 2020, he was found guilty of two of five felony counts. He was sentenced to 23 years in prison and is currently serving his sentence at Wende Correctional Facility.