SAN FRANCISCO– A U.S. district judge has dismissed a federal lawsuit by a woman who alleged New York Knicks owner James Dolan sexually assaulted her a decade ago and then allowed her to be abused by jailed movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.
U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson on Tuesday dismissed the lawsuit filed by Kellye Croft in Los Angeles in January. Anderson said Croft failed to plausibly allege a commercial sex act in which she was paid for sex under the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act.
The judge also declined to hear her claims based on state, not federal, laws against Dolan for sexual battery and aiding and abetting sexual assault, and against Weinstein for sexual assault and attempted rape.
Croft’s attorneys posted on
The office of Dolan’s attorney, E. Danya Perry, said in a statement Wednesday that the lawsuit was “a malicious attempt to level 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 also dismissed Croft’s claims at the time of the filing in January.
According to the lawsuit, Croft was a licensed massage therapist in 2013 and was working on a tour for The Eagles that featured Dolan’s band, J.D. & The Straight Shot, opened for the rock band. Dolan allegedly used his influence on the tour to repeatedly manipulate and pressure Croft “into submitting to sex with him,” the lawsuit said. It was alleged that Dolan orchestrated a meeting between Croft and Weinstein, a friend of his, in a hotel elevator in early 2014. She alleged in her lawsuit 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 come forward publicly or agree to be identified, as Croft has done.
