Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced former Hollywood mogul, was rushed to New York City’s Bellevue Hospital for heart surgery Sunday night, according to his lawyer Arthur Aidala. Weinstein, 72, has been held at Rikers Island since April and had expressed his physical discomfort several times over the weekend to his prison consultant.
Weinstein’s lawyers alerted Rikers and Bellevue officials, fearing for his life if action was not taken quickly. Weinstein underwent surgery Monday morning to drain fluid from around his lungs and heart. He has been recovering in the intensive care unit since the surgery and says he is “grateful to be alive.”
Prison is not over yet
The hospitalization comes amid a complicated legal battle for Weinstein. His 2020 sex crime conviction in New York was overturned by the state Court of Appeals in April, a verdict that sparked widespread outrage. The judges ruled that he had not received a fair trial because of the presence of witnesses whose allegations were not directly related to the charges against him.
Despite the turnaround, Weinstein still faces serious charges. His new trial in New York, where he will be tried on sexual assault charges, is scheduled to begin in November. He is also already serving a 16-year prison sentence for another sex crimes case in Los Angeles.
A fragile state of health
Last July, Weinstein was already hospitalized for various health issues, including bilateral pneumonia. His fragile health raises questions about his ability to attend his upcoming trial, as he continues to deny all the accusations against him.