Judge dismisses an assault lawsuit against Knicks owner James Dolan and Harvey Weinstein
SAN FRANCISCO — A U.S. district judge has dismissed a federal lawsuit from a woman who alleged that the owner of the New York Knicks James Dolan sexually abused her ten years ago and then lured her into a trap to be abused by an imprisoned movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.
U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson dismissed the case on Tuesday court case filed by Kellye Croft in Los Angeles in January. Anderson said Croft failed to establish that a commercial sex act in which she was paid for sex occurred under the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act.
The judge also refused to hear her claims based on state law (rather than federal law) against Dolan for sexual assault and aiding and abetting sexual assault, and against Weinstein for sexual assault and attempted rape.
Croft’s attorneys said on X that they disagreed with the decision, arguing that it misinterprets federal sex trafficking law and undermines crucial protections for sex trafficking victims.
The office of Dolan’s attorney, E. Danya Perry, said in a statement Wednesday that the lawsuit was “a malicious attempt to make heinous allegations” by what it called an unscrupulous law firm.
Weinstein’s attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment, but rejected Croft’s allegations at the time of the January filing.
According to the lawsuit, in 2013 Croft was a licensed massage therapist working on a tour for The Eagles that included Dolan’s band, J.D. & The Straight Shot, the rock band’s opening act. Dolan allegedly used his influence on the tour to repeatedly manipulate and pressure Croft into “submitting to sex with him,” the lawsuit alleges. It was alleged that Dolan arranged a meeting between Croft and Weinstein, a friend of his, in a hotel elevator in early 2014. In her lawsuit, she alleged that Weinstein sexually assaulted her in a hotel room.
The Associated Press generally does not name people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they report it publicly or agree to be identified, as Croft has done.