A federal lawsuit has been filed against James Dolan, Chairman of Madison Square Garden and governor of the New York Knicks and New York Rangers, by a Tennessee woman accusing him of pressuring her into unwanted sexual encounters almost a decade ago. The lawsuit also claims that Dolan facilitated an encounter with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, who the woman asserts sexually assaulted her.

The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California by Kellye Croft, a licensed massage therapist, who stated that she was 27 years old when she met Dolan in the fall of 2013 during a tour with the rock band, the Eagles. Dolan's band, JD & The Straight Shot, was performing as an opening act for the Eagles at the time.

According to the lawsuit, Dolan allegedly became "extremely assertive" during one encounter and pressured Croft into engaging in unwanted sexual intercourse. The lawsuit further claims that Croft was subsequently summoned to Dolan's room on multiple occasions, where he allegedly made unwelcome advances and coerced her into engaging in sexual acts.

Croft alleges that in January 2014, Dolan arranged for her to travel to Los Angeles to join the tour, where she claims to have met Weinstein at a Beverly Hills hotel where Dolan was paying for her stay. She stated that Weinstein introduced himself as Dolan's "best friend" and then sexually assaulted her. Croft informed Dolan about the incident, to which he allegedly responded by describing Weinstein as a "troubled person" with "serious issues."

Notably, the incident in question happened prior to Weinstein being convicted for his history of sexual abuse, which came to light in 2017. Furthermore, Dolan had previously claimed to be unaware of Weinstein's alleged abuse of women. In 2018, Dolan released a song titled "I Should've Known," which he partially connected to Weinstein.

Croft, who is now 38, has filed for a jury trial and unspecified damages in her lawsuit. Dolan's attorney, E. Danya Perry, dismissed the allegations, stating that there is no merit to them and that Croft and Dolan had a friendship. Perry claimed that the references to Weinstein were plagiarized from previous cases against him.

Weinstein's lawyer, Jennifer Bonjean, stated that he "vehemently denies the meritless allegations" in the lawsuit. Weinstein is currently serving a combined sentence of 39 years in prison for sexual assault and rape in separate cases.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver addressed the lawsuit during a news conference, stating that he was aware of the article but had no further information. Croft's lawyer, Douglas H. Wigdor, responded by stating that a reputable chairperson in corporate America would not simply "stand by" and "wait" after a federal complaint has been filed against one of their executives on allegations of sexual assault and sex trafficking.

As the case unfolds, both the NBA and NHL, where Dolan has been involved due to his position with the New York Rangers, will likely face scrutiny regarding the integrity and public confidence of their respective leagues.

In the meantime, the lawsuit against James Dolan continues, and the legal process will determine the veracity of the allegations brought against him.