Former film producer Harvey Weinstein is in critical condition following emergency heart surgery performed earlier on September 9, Monday. The 72-year-old Weinstein was rushed from Rikers Island to Bellevue Hospital late last night after experiencing severe chest pain, prompting urgent medical intervention, according to Deadline.
Weinstein, who has been incarcerated while awaiting a second trial on sexual assault and other sex crimes, underwent surgery to address his heart condition.
However, despite the operation, sources close to the situation revealed to Deadline that Weinstein remains in “very rough shape” and is described as being in “critical condition.”
This latest health crisis for Weinstein comes as he was scheduled to return to a Manhattan courtroom this week. The troubled producer, whose legal battles have been well-documented since his arrest in May 2018, was slated to appear in court on September 12 before Justice Curtis Faber.
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The possibility of this hearing proceeding is now in question, depending on Weinstein’s recovery, as per Deadline. Weinstein’s spokesperson, Juda Engelmayer, confirmed the surgery but offered no further details on his current status.
“According to Craig Rothfeld and Juda Engelmayer, Mr Weinstein was rushed to Bellevue Hospital last night due to several medical conditions,” Engelmayer stated, adding, “We can confirm that Mr Weinstein had a procedure and surgery on his heart today, however, we cannot comment any further than that,” as per Deadline.
Engelmayer also expressed gratitude to the New York City Department of Correction and Rikers Island for their swift response. The former mogul’s health issues have been a recurring theme since his incarceration.
Weinstein has faced multiple medical challenges over the past six years, including bouts with COVID-19 and other serious conditions. His health has often deteriorated at pivotal moments in his legal proceedings, raising questions about the timing and impact of his ailments on his court appearances.
Weinstein’s legal troubles began in late 2017, following a series of exposes by the New York Times that detailed decades of alleged abuse.’
As per Deadline, convicted in February 2020 on charges of first-degree sexual assault and third-degree rape, Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison.
He is also serving a 16-year sentence in Los Angeles following a separate conviction.
In April 2024, a New York appellate court overturned his 2020 verdict, leading to a formal appeal of his Los Angeles conviction in June. With Weinstein’s health in such a precarious state, the planned retrial for his East Coast rape case, tentatively scheduled to begin on November 12, remains uncertain, as per Deadline.
(With Inputs From ANI)
