Harvey Weinstein, the former movie producer who was publicly discredited, has been moved temporarily from Rikers Island to Bellevue Hospital in New York City. This transfer happened after Weinstein’s lawyers successfully asked the court to move him, stating that his health has gotten much worse and that he was not receiving proper medical care at Rikers Island.
As reported by Variety, A judge approved the move on Thursday, April 17, and Weinstein will stay at Bellevue until a hearing on April 24 at 2:15 PM ET. Weinstein’s legal team claimed that he was not getting the right medical treatment at Rikers. They said at least one of his medical problems had been incorrectly diagnosed.
The long list of health issues they presented to the court included cancer, diabetes, serious heart disease, chest pain caused by poor blood flow to the heart, sleep apnea, thyroid problems, obesity, chronic pain in his lower back and legs, anemia, and high blood pressure.
Weinstein moved from Riker’s over health issues
His lawyers also described cases of poor treatment, such as being given the wrong medication, gaining an unhealthy amount of weight, being exposed to very cold temperatures, and not having clean clothes. They argued that the conditions at Rikers made these problems even worse.
The transfer happens at an important time in Weinstein’s ongoing retrial for rape and sexual assault charges. Jury selection for the retrial started earlier this week, with potential jurors going through a detailed screening process. By Thursday, about thirty possible jurors were still being considered, with some spots left to fill. The selection process will continue after the Good Friday holiday.
This retrial is happening because the New York Court of Appeals decided in April 2024 to cancel Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, per NBC. The court ruled that including testimony from three other accusers, who were not directly connected to the original charges, unfairly influenced the first trial. Because of this overturned conviction.
The retrial is now happening, and it also includes a new charge related to a sex crime that allegedly took place in a Manhattan hotel between April 29 and May 6, 2006. Weinstein has said he is not guilty of all charges.
Besides the immediate health problems that led to his transfer, Weinstein is also suing the City of New York and its related agencies. This lawsuit comes from his claims of “horrible” treatment at Rikers Island, where he says he was denied basic medical care and humane conditions.
He is asking for millions of dollars in compensation for the physical and mental suffering he says he experienced because of these conditions. While he reportedly trusts Bellevue Hospital to take care of him, his lawsuit shows his frustration with how he was treated at Rikers and claims that Bellevue sent him back to jail too soon before he fully recovered.
Published: Apr 18, 2025 12:00 pm