Disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, who is serving time for multiple sex crimes, is back in the hospital battling chronic myeloid leukemia. The 72-year-old man has accused New York City authorities of “medical negligence”, claiming he was being denied adequate care while in custody. His team is reportedly considering legal action, alleging that the city’s refusal to house him at Bellevue Hospital during the upcoming retrial puts his health at risk.
Harvey Weinstein plans to sue NYC officials
Harvey Weinstein, whose initial conviction was partially overturned, is now facing a retrial on two charges while battling a severe form of bone marrow cancer diagnosed last October. According to the Post, his team claims Weinstein is not receiving adequate medical care while in custody and is reportedly considering legal action against NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue.
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The filmmaker’s legal team argues that the decision to move him out of Bellevue Hospital before his retrial represents a serious failure, potentially jeopardizing his health and his ability to fully participate in his own defense. Can. According to his representative, “This treatment suggests a broader agenda for more catastrophic outcomes through the legal system and inadequate health care.”
However, Weinstein clarified that he does not hold the medical staff at Rikers Island, Correctional Health Services, or his doctors—for whom he has “deep respect”—responsible for his current condition.
Weinstein’s health history
Harvey Weinstein, who opposed the #MeToo movement, was convicted in February 2020 on charges of third-degree rape and first-degree criminal sexual act. He was then sentenced to 23 years in prison. Three years later, he was found guilty of a 2013 rape in Los Angeles and received an additional 16 years in prison. At the time of his conviction, his legal team expressed concern that his declining health might prevent him from serving his full sentence and that he would die in prison.
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In July of that year, Weinstein was transferred from a New York City jail to a hospital for treatment of various health problems, including serious complications from COVID-19 and pneumonia. He also required medical care for diabetes, high blood pressure, spinal stenosis and a buildup of fluid around his heart and lungs. In another urgent turn of events, Weinstein was hospitalized for heart surgery in September.
The New York Court of Appeals ruled in April that testimony about Weinstein’s past behavior should not have been used in his initial trial, because it focused more on his character than on proving intent to commit the related crimes. . Despite this, Weinstein still faces two additional criminal charges from an earlier indictment, where he has pleaded not guilty.