New York Knicks owner James Dolan is reportedly facing allegations of sexual assault and trafficking.
Dolan is part of a lawsuit filed in California that alleges he sexually assaulted and trafficked a masseuse by the name of Kellye Croft.
He is being accused of manipulating and isolating Croft into a sexual relationship back in the year 2013, when Croft was invited to work as a masseuse for Glenn Frey, who was a singer for the rock band the Eagles. Dolan and the Eagles were linked at the time through a tour.
Fast forward to January of 2014, and Dolan supposedly flew Croft out to Los Angeles to rejoin the tour. Croft had the belief that she would be working with Frey once again, but instead, she allegedly was “unlawfully trafficked…for [Dolan’s] own sexual gratification.”
A few days after arriving to Los Angeles, she allegedly was sexually assaulted by former film producer and convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein.
Croft released a statement in which she explained why she decided to come forward with these allegations against Dolan and Weinstein.
“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,” the statement from Croft read. “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.”
The lawsuit alleges that Dolan pressured Croft into unwanted sex on multiple occasions.
Dolan’s lawyer addressed the situation.
“There is absolutely no merit to any of the allegations against Mr. Dolan. Kellye Croft and James Dolan had a friendship,” Dolan’s lawyer said in a statement to amNewYork. “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 won 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.”
Madison Square Garden has yet to comment on the disturbing allegations that Dolan is facing.
The 68-year-old’s future as the owner of the Knicks is now seemingly up in the air. Dolan has served as the team’s owner for over two decades.
So far during the 2023-24 regular season, the Knicks have been one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference. At 23-17, New York sits as the No. 7 seed in the East and owns an identical record to the Indiana Pacers, who are the No. 6 seed in the conference at the moment.
But New York has lost two of its last three games and had a four-point loss to the Orlando Magic in the team’s most recent game on Monday. Now, the franchise seemingly has more to worry about than just basketball.
