James Dolan Sex Trafficked Woman, Aided Harvey Weinstein Attack: Suit
"James Dolan manipulated me, brought me to California to abuse me, and then set me up for a vicious attack by Weinstein," the woman said. A lawsuit has been filed by a former masseuse alleging that Knicks owner James Dolan pressured her into sex while his band toured with The Eagles a decade ago. The woman alleges that Dolan also coordinated a meeting between her and Harvey Weinstein, leading to a "horrific" sexual assault. The lawsuit accuses Dolan of orchestrating the attack by Weinstein and leaving the woman heartbroken, traumatized, unable to continue her passion for massage therapy. Dolan's attorney, E. Danya Perry, denied the allegations, claiming they are an act of retaliation by an attorney who has brought multiple cases against Dolan and has not won a judgement against him.
Published : 3 months ago by Matt Troutman in Entertainment
The complaint filed Tuesday details accusations from a now-38-year-old former masseuse who said Dolan pressured her into sex while his band toured with The Eagles a decade ago. The Knicks owner also coordinated a meeting between the woman and his friend Weinstein that led to a "horrific" sexual assault in which the producer chased her down a hallway, barged into her room and penetrated her, the lawsuit states.
"James Dolan manipulated me, brought me to California to abuse me, and then set me up for a vicious attack by Weinstein," the woman said in a statement. Dolan's attorney E. Danya Perry said the accusations have no merit.
Perry said Dolan is surprised the woman, with whom he had a friendship, would agree to the claims. "The references to Harvey Weinstein are simply meant to inflame and appear to be plagiarized from prior cases against Mr. Weinstein," Perry said in a statement. "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."
"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." The woman's attorney Douglas Wigdor, who is representing former Knicks player Charles Oakley in a high-profile lawsuit against Madison Square Garden, called it a "fabrication" that he lost multiple cases to Dolan.
The woman's lawsuit states she met Dolan when his band JD & The Straight Shot — once described by a New York Times writer as an undistinguished roots-rock band with "well-known sidemen backing a karaoke-grade singer" — toured with The Eagles. Dolan booked a masseuse in which he pressured the then-28-year-old into sex, the lawsuit contends. The unwanted sex continued as the woman joined Dolan on tour in 2014, which was when she met Weinstein — an encounter she maintains was coordinated by Dolan, according to the lawsuit. The abuse by Dolan and Weinstein left the woman heartbroken, traumatized and unable to continue her passion for massage therapy, the lawsuit states. "Weinstein's assault and Dolan’s unlawful sex trafficking and manipulation—both together and separately—weighed on (the woman) for years," the lawsuit states. "She struggled to form healthy relationships with men, as she felt betrayed by her trusting nature, believing it led Dolan to take advantage of her and allowed Weinstein to attack her."