Harvey Weinstein Hospitalized for Urgent Heart Surgery

Harvey Weinstein has been taken from Rikers Island to Bellevue Hospital for emergency heart surgery following chest pains, as confirmed by his representatives to ABC News.

According to Weinstein’s representatives, Craig Rothfeld and Juda Engelmayer, the decision to rush him to Bellevue was prompted by multiple medical issues. “Mr. Weinstein was rushed to Bellevue Hospital last night due to several medical conditions,” they stated. “We can confirm that Mr. Weinstein had a procedure and surgery on his heart today; however, we cannot comment any further.”

The representatives expressed gratitude to the New York City Department of Correction and the staff at Rikers Island for their timely response in facilitating Weinstein’s transfer to the hospital. They reiterated that Weinstein faces multiple significant health challenges that require ongoing medical attention.

This medical emergency comes at a critical time for Weinstein, who is set to appear in court this week in New York. Prosecutors are presenting evidence to a grand jury in efforts to secure a new indictment related to sex crime charges against him.

Weinstein, 72, has consistently denied any wrongdoing, asserting that his sexual encounters with women were consensual.

Recently, Weinstein has been seen in court using a wheelchair and has requested to remain in custody at Rikers, where he has been receiving medical treatment.

In a surprising turn of events this past April, the New York Court of Appeals overturned Weinstein’s conviction on sex crimes against three women, declaring a 4-3 decision wherein the trial judge was found to have “erroneously admitted testimony of uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts against persons other than the complainants of the underlying crimes.”

The court’s opinion criticized the use of this testimony, stating it served no significant purpose other than to portray Weinstein in a prejudicial light.

Following the court’s ruling, the Manhattan district attorney’s office has provided evidence to a grand jury, aiming for a new indictment of Weinstein concerning a sexual assault allegedly committed between late 2005 and mid-2006 in a lower Manhattan residential building. This disclosure came during an unannounced court hearing last week.

During a September 3 hearing, prosecutors mentioned they were also aware of two other possible offenses involving Weinstein: a sexual assault that occurred in May 2016 in a hotel in Tribeca, as well as a potential assault at the Tribeca Grand hotel.

This recent hospital visit is not Weinstein’s first. He was previously taken to Bellevue in July after testing positive for COVID-19 and subsequently developing double pneumonia, according to Rothfeld.