James Dolan, the owner of Madison Square Garden, has emerged victorious in a legal battle in California federal court. The lawsuit brought against him by Kellye Croft, who claimed she was coerced into sex while working as a masseuse during a 2013 tour with the Eagles and Dolan’s band, JD & the Straight Shot, has been dismissed without prejudice for now.
Croft still has the opportunity to file an amended complaint in the case by July 8. Dolan’s spokesperson responded to the ruling by stating that the court found no merit in the allegations against Dolan and attributed the lawsuit to a personal vendetta by Croft’s attorney, Doug Wigdor, against Dolan and Madison Square Garden.
This is not the first time that Wigdor and Madison Square Garden have been at odds in court. Previously, Wigdor’s firm represented former Knick Charles Oakley in a case against Dolan and MSG related to Oakley’s ejection from the arena in 2017. Despite MSG’s denial of Oakley’s claims, the lawsuit was dismissed by a Manhattan judge in 2020 and 2021 but was later reinstated by an appeals court in 2023.
The ongoing legal battle highlights the contentious relationship between the parties involved, with Croft’s case adding to the history of litigation between Wigdor, Dolan, and MSG. The dismissal of the lawsuit without prejudice leaves room for further legal action, and the upcoming deadline for an amended complaint indicates that the legal proceedings are far from over.
Croft’s allegations of sex assault and trafficking have yet to be substantiated in court, and the outcome of the case remains uncertain as both sides prepare for the next steps in the legal process. The developments in the California federal court case shed light on the complexities of legal battles involving high-profile individuals and companies in the entertainment industry.