Lawyers for James L. Dolan, the chairman and CEO behind Madison Square Garden and the Sphere, are seeking to dismiss the sexual assault lawsuit filed against him by a masseuse he hired while on tour with the Eagles.
In the lawsuit filed in January, plaintiff Kellye Croft claimed that in late 2013, Dolan enticed her into a sexual relationship and hired her as a massage therapist for the Eagles tour, during which Dolan’s band J.D. and the Straight Shot was the opening act.
The lawsuit also claimed that while on the tour, Harvey Weinstein — whom she says was a close friend of Dolan’s and is a co-defendant in the lawsuit — sexually assaulted her. She alleged that when she told Dolan about the rape, he was unsympathetic.
In the motion to dismiss, Dolan’s lawyers fired back at Croft’s claims and stated that it’s “an unfortunate truth that some men, by virtue of their status, have become targets for opportunists looking for a quick payday,” Billboard reports. His attorneys also called Croft’s accusations “completely manufactured.”
Croft’s lawsuit claims that Dolan was instrumental in “facilitating, enabling, and aiding Weinstein in meeting Ms. Croft.” Weinstein assaulted her, the suit said, on Jan. 21, 2014.
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“I have suffered so profoundly because of what James Dolan and Harvey Weinstein did to me years ago, and it was not an easy decision to come forward and seek justice,” Croft said in a statement in January. “But for me, to truly address my trauma, I need to seek accountability. 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.”
Dolan’s lawyer, E. Danya Perry, previously told Rolling Stone. “There is absolutely no merit to any of the allegations against Mr. Dolan. 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. These claims reflect an act of retaliation by an attorney who has brought multiple cases against Mr. Dolan and has not, and cannot, win a judgment against him. Mr. Dolan always believed Ms. Croft to be a good person and is surprised she would agree to these claims. 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.”
