Harvey Weinstein was rushed from Rikers Island, where he is currently held, to Bellevue Hospital for emergency heart surgery after experiencing chest pains, his representatives confirmed to media.
“Mr. Weinstein was taken to Bellevue Hospital last night due to several ongoing medical conditions,” representatives Craig Rothfeld and Juda Engelmayer stated. “We can confirm that Mr. Weinstein underwent a heart procedure today, though we cannot provide further details.”
They added, “As we’ve mentioned before, Mr. Weinstein suffers from several serious health issues that require continuous medical attention. We appreciate the swift actions of the executive team at the New York City Department of Correction and Rikers Island in ensuring he received immediate care at Bellevue.”
This emergency occurs as Weinstein, 72, is scheduled to appear in court this week in New York, where prosecutors have been presenting evidence to a grand jury in an effort to secure a new indictment on sex crimes charges.
Weinstein maintains that he has done nothing wrong, asserting that all his encounters with women were consensual.
In recent court appearances, Weinstein has been seen in a wheelchair and has requested to remain in custody at Rikers Island, where he has been receiving medical treatment.
In a surprising decision this April, the New York Court of Appeals overturned Weinstein’s conviction on sex crimes involving three women. In a close 4-3 decision, the court criticized the trial judge for allowing testimony about uncharged prior sexual acts, which they deemed irrelevant to the charges at hand, stating it unfairly portrayed Weinstein in a prejudicial manner.
Despite this, the Manhattan district attorney’s office has since presented new evidence to a grand jury, seeking a new indictment against Weinstein for an alleged sexual assault that reportedly took place between late 2005 and mid-2006 at a residential building in lower Manhattan. This came to light during an unexpected court hearing last week.
Prosecutors also noted in a Sept. 3 hearing that they are investigating two additional potential offenses: one involving an alleged sexual assault in May 2016 at a Tribeca hotel, and another at the Tribeca Grand Hotel.
Read More: Suspect Apprehended After Shooting Sparks Lockdown at Apalachee High School
This marks the second time Weinstein has been hospitalized recently. In July, he was transferred to Bellevue after testing positive for COVID-19 and developing double pneumonia, according to Rothfeld.
