Convicted rapist and notorious Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein is recovering from emergency heart surgery at Bellevue Hospital but is still in “severe pain,” his representative said.
Weinstein, 72, was rushed to the hospital on Monday from Rikers Island, where he is being held awaiting retrial on sex crimes charges.
“He's in intensive care recovering from heart surgery. That's all the latest information we know,” Weinstein's prison adviser Craig Rothfeld told The Washington Post.
Rothfeld said he spoke to Weinstein on Monday and said the former movie mogul was “in great pain.”
“He was experiencing chest pains, difficulty breathing and had a severe cough,” Rothfeld added.
It is unclear when Weinstein will be released, the defense said, arguing that he requires additional medical treatment for spinal stenosis, high blood pressure, thyroid and diabetes complications.
“We're actively working to keep him there,” Rosfeld said.
Another representative for Weinstein, Judah Engelmeyer, confirmed that the Miramax co-founder had previously been taken to Bellevue Hospital with “cardiac issues.”
“As of now, no news yet,” Engelmayer told the Post. “I can't give you any further details.”
Janet Merrill, a spokeswoman for New York City Health, Hospitals and Correctional Health Services, confirmed Weinstein remained hospitalized Monday night but declined to comment on his condition, citing “privacy concerns.”
“Mr. Weinstein is a patient at Bellevue Hospital,” Merrill said. “He left Rikers Island for a three-hour medical visit.”
Weinstein, who has previously denied raping or sexually assaulting anyone, was scheduled to appear for a pretrial hearing in Manhattan Supreme Court on Thursday.
He has been shuttled between Bellevue and the medical wing of Rikers since his sex crimes conviction and 23-year sentence were overturned in April and he was returned to New York City.
In a surprisingly split decision, the New York State Court of Appeals found the judge erred in admitting testimony from three women whose allegations were not directly related to the case.
In May, city officials sent Weinstein back to Rikers after reports that he had received special treatment at Bellevue, including a telephone, a private bathroom and a television.
A new trial, which could also include new sexual assault charges, is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 12, according to Manhattan prosecutors.
Despite the Supreme Court's decision, Weinstein remains in prison because he is serving a separate 16-year sentence in California for raping an Italian model in 2013.
