Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced movie mogul, was hospitalized on Monday after an alarming blood test, according to his attorney. This comes shortly after Weinstein filed a legal claim alleging substandard medical care at a notorious New York City jail complex.
Weinstein, 72, was taken to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan for urgent treatment due to the concerning blood test result that requires immediate medical attention, his attorney, Imran Ansari, stated.
“It is anticipated that he will remain there until his condition stabilizes,” the statement continued. “The lack of care is not only medical malpractice but also a violation of his constitutional rights.”
A spokesperson for the New York City Department of Correction did not respond immediately to an email. The agency’s inmate database confirmed Weinstein’s transfer from Rikers Island to the Bellevue Hospital Prison Ward in Manhattan.
Weinstein has been in city custody since earlier this year following the overturning of his 2020 rape conviction by the New York Court of Appeals. The case is scheduled for retrial in 2025, and Weinstein maintains his innocence.
In a recent legal filing, Weinstein’s legal team accused the city of providing substandard medical care for various health issues, including chronic myeloid leukemia and diabetes.
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During a recent visit, Ansari described finding Weinstein with blood spatter on his prison clothing, possibly from IVs, unwashed clothes for weeks, and no clean underwear provided—a far cry from sanitary conditions for someone with serious medical conditions. Ansari likened Rikers Island to a “gulag” in his statement.
The troubled jail complex, situated on an island in New York City’s East River, has come under increased scrutiny for its mistreatment of detainees and hazardous conditions. A federal judge recently authorized a potential federal takeover of the jail system, citing the city’s placement of incarcerated individuals in “unconstitutional danger.”
Weinstein’s publicist, Juda Engelmayer, echoed these concerns in a statement on Monday.
“Mr. Weinstein, who is battling several illnesses, including leukemia, has not received the necessary medical attention that someone in his condition deserves, whether a prisoner or not,” he said. “In many ways, this mistreatment amounts to cruel and unusual punishment.”
By Jake Offenhartz
