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New York Knicks owner James Dolan and Harvey Weinstein accused of sexual assault in new complaint
James Dolan, Madison Square Garden Entertainment CEO and owner of the New York Knicks and New York Rangers, was accused of sexual assault and trafficking in a new lawsuit filed in Los Angeles on Tuesday. The suit also accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault.
The federal complaint alleged that Dolan and Weinstein separately sexually assaulted massage therapist Kellye Croft in 2013 and 2014 while Croft was working as a massage therapist for the band the Eagles.
Representatives for Dolan and Weinstein issued statements denying the allegations.
Dolan’s own band was opening for the Eagles on their “History of the Eagles – Live in Concert” tour, and Croft was hired by the band in 2013 to travel with them.
Croft alleged in the complaint that Dolan first made an appointment with her in November 2013 and that he forced himself on her during their second appointment.
Dolan was “extremely assertive, and pressured Ms. Croft into unwanted sexual intercourse with him” during a massage, Croft claimed in the lawsuit.
“Ms. Croft tried to bring the massage to an end, but Dolan proceeded to come on even stronger, treating Ms. Croft’s resistance as part of a challenge or a game. Dolan then grabbed Ms. Croft’s hands, dragging her to a couch in the same room and forcing her hands between his knees as he sat down,” the lawsuit alleged.
After the alleged incident, the lawsuit contended that Dolan, who is more than 30 years older than Croft, continued to make sexual advances towards Croft.
“She felt disgusted and terrified of the situation, but the extreme isolation she felt from others on the tour, coupled with Dolan’s attention to her, his assertions that he would take care of her, and her recognition that this man held immense power over everyone’s position on the tour—including hers—led her to submit to Dolan’s advances,” the lawsuit alleged.
At the end of 2013, Croft was invited to join the Eagles on the Los Angeles leg of their tour, the complaint alleged, adding when Croft accepted she did not realize Dolan and his band would still be the opening act.
According to the complaint, Croft was under the impression that she had been hired to continue her work as a licensed masseuse for the Eagles, but Dolan had “unlawfully trafficked her for his own sexual gratification.”
“Indeed, Dolan expected Ms. Croft to have sexual interactions with him during the tour, and she spent her time either isolated by herself or waiting for instructions from Dolan,” the complaint alleged.
On January 21, after returning to the hotel where she was staying during her time in California, Croft claimed she was approached by Weinstein, who allegedly proposed hiring her to work on set for his film productions. Croft said she joined Weinstein in his hotel suite to continue the discussion and was then sexually assaulted by Weinstein, the complaint stated.
“Ms. Croft fought back the best she could, although she recalls that Weinstein felt like a giant compared to her. She struggled to sit up, push him away,” the complaint said. The alleged assault was interrupted by a phone call from Dolan, after which Weinstein allegedly told Croft, “Well, you know Jim and I are best friends. He’s going to be very disappointed that you led me on, this won’t look good for you.”
In her statement, Croft said, “James Dolan manipulated me, brought me to California to abuse me, and then set me up for a vicious attack by Weinstein.”
Dolan’s legal representative E. Dayna Perry told CBS News, “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 judgement against him.”
“Mr. Dolan always believed Ms. Croft to be a good person and is surprised she would agree to these claims,” Perry added. “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.”
Weinstein’s lawyer, Jennifer Bonjean, said in a statement, “Mr. Weinstein vehemently denies the meritless allegations in the recently filed lawsuit. We look forward to litigating this case in a court of law where the truth will be revealed.”
Croft said that she has “suffered so profoundly” because of the alleged incidents, adding that “it was not an easy decision to come forward and seek justice.”
“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,” Croft said in her statement.
CBS News
Trump taps Herschel Walker for ambassador to the Bahamas
President-elect Donald Trump announced he will nominate Herschel Walker, the former football player whose 2022 Senate run was plagued by controversy, to serve as U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas.
“Herschel has spent decades serving as an Ambassador to our Nation’s youth, our men and women in the Military, and athletes at home and abroad,” Trump said on social media Tuesday night.
Walker would need to be confirmed by the Senate to assume the role. The Senate has not confirmed a U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas in over a decade. Former President Barack Obama had nominated Cassandra Butts for the role in 2014, but the Senate never even brought her nomination up for a vote, according to The Associated Press. She died in 2016.
Trump in his first term nominated Doug Manchester in 2017 for the ambassador role, but his nomination stalled for over two years. CBS News in 2019 also uncovered evidence of a possible pay-to-play scheme for the role. He eventually withdrew and Trump went on to nominate William Douglass in 2020. Douglass’ nomination was withdrawn by President Biden when he took office, and Mr. Biden in turn nominated Calvin Smyre, who has not been confirmed by the Senate.
Absent an official ambassador to the Bahamas, Kimberly Furnish currently serves in the role of Chargé d’Affaires.
Walker rose to national prominence as a star running back for the Georgia Bulldogs, winning the Heisman trophy in 1982. He spent his first few years of professional ball in the United States Football League before it folded, and then moved on to the NFL.
Walker reentered the national spotlight when, at Trump’s urging, he challenged Georgia’s Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock for his seat in 2022. The race featured several controversies, including two women claiming that Walker — who was running as an anti-abortion candidate — had paid for them to get abortions.
Walker denied both allegations.
In one instance, Walker admitted to writing a check for a woman who said he paid for her to get an abortion in 2009, but he said he hadn’t known what the money was for.
Another woman claimed Walker paid her to get an abortion while the two carried out a six-year relationship while he was married to another woman and playing in the NFL. During a news conference back in 2022, she said she couldn’t go through with the procedure when she went to get it herself, so Walker took her to a clinic in the Dallas area the next day and waited for her while she got the abortion.
“This was a lie a week ago and it is a lie today,” Walker said at the time following an interview the woman gave a week after the initial news conference.
Warnock would go on to win the election in a runoff after neither candidate received more than 50% of the vote on election day.
Aaron Navarro and
contributed to this report.
CBS News
1 killed, 9 injured in mass shooting in Baltimore suburb of Towson, police say
BALTIMORE — One person was killed and nine others injured in a mass shooting in the Baltimore suburb of Towson Tuesday night, authorities said.
Law enforcement responded at around 7:15 p.m. in the 8500 block of Loch Raven Boulevard, Baltimore County Police Chief Robert McCullough said in a news briefing.
“It appears to be a mass shooting incident,” Baltimore County Police Chief Robert McCullough told reporters. “We have multiple persons who were shot. Right now, we are determining the circumstances and the conditions in this case.”
The first arriving officer found a vehicle on its side in flames, McCullough said, and then several gunshot victims were found in the area. The name of the person killed was not released, and the conditions of the nine people injured was unknown.
At this time, investigators believe this was an isolated and targeted incident, with no further threat to community at this point, he added. It’s unclear if any suspects have been arrested.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is at the scene assisting police, as was the Baltimore County Fire Department.
Anyone with information is asked to call Baltimore County Police at 410-887-4636.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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