Knicks Owner James Dolan Denies Harvey Weinstein-Related Sex Crime Charges

NEW YORK - According to documents obtained by Ben Sisario of the New York Times, New York Knicks owner and Madison Square Garden Entertainment/Sports Chairman James Dolan has been listed among the defendants in a lawsuit filed by masseuse Kellye Croft. Convicted sex offender and former film producer Harvey Weinstein is likewise listed among the defendants.

Dolan's attorney E. Danya Perry denied the allegations in a statement to The Times.

"There is absolutely no merit to any of the allegations against Mr. Dolan," Perry said. "Kellye Croft and James Dolan had a friendship. 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.”

Croft's attorney Douglas H. Wigdor has likewise released a statement.

“Over the years, James Dolan has managed to dodge repeated issues concerning his judgment and character," Wigdor wrote. "Despite being found liable by a federal jury in the Anucha Browne case, ejecting loyal fans from Madison Square Garden because they question his ownership, and falsely denying knowledge of his good friend Harvey Weinstein’s predatory behavior prior to serving on the board of directors of The Weinstein Company, Dolan’s power and influence has remained intact.

"With the filing of today’s complaint, it is time to finally hold Dolan accountable for his outrageous conduct.”

In the suit, Croft alleges that she was sexually assaulted by both Dolan and Weinstein after she was hired by the former to work as a massage therapist for a 2013 tour headlined by the classic rock band The Eagles. Dolan's blues-rock band JD & the Straight Shot served as the opening act for the tour.

Croft's suit further details an incident involving Dolan where he assaulted her during a massage appointment. In another 2014 incident in Los Angeles, Dolan was said to have "coordinated" Croft meeting with Weinstein, who was said to be interested in hiring her to work on his film sets.

But Croft became uncomfortable when Weinstein tried to coerce her into a massage and followed her to her hotel room where he began to assault her. Croft says she told Dolan about the incident, but he responded with that "Weinstein “was ‘a troubled person’ that had a lot of ‘serious issues.'"

Dolan and Weinstein shared a close friendship prior to the latter's conviction. Singles from JD & the Straight Shot appeared on the soundtracks for Weinstein Company films "August: Osage County" and "Jane Got a Gun" and The Times notes that Dolan sat on the production group's board of directors. Sisario also notes that a 2018 JD & the Straight Shot single "I Should've Known" serves as a reference to a "broken friendship" after Weinstein's conviction. Dolan confirmed the connection during a 2018 appearance on the WNYW morning news program "Good Day New York."

Dolan's Sphere to Appear on Knicks Jerseys

“That’s almost really what the song is: what did we miss?” Dolan said at the time. “If you were friends with any of those people, a lot of them were, you know, were people that we never would have thought that about.”

Previously, MSG was forced to pay $11.6 million in damages to former employee Anucha Browne Sanders for sexual harassment claims against then-Knicks head coach and front office prescience Isiah Thomas. Dolan maintained Thomas' innocence and later named him the president of the WNBA's New York Liberty in 2015, holding the position until the team was sold to Joe Tsai in 2020.