Former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was rushed to a hospital from a New York City prison and underwent heart surgery, his representatives said.
The background: Weinstein, who has denied having any non-consensual sexual encounters with anyone, was found guilty on rape charges in February 2020. The New York Court of Appeals , finding Weinstein did not get a fair trial because a judge improperly allowed testimony by accusers he was not formally charged with assaulting.
A court in Los Angeles in 2022 also convicted him of raping an actress in the city, and he was sentenced to 16 years in prison. That conviction was not affected by the New York court’s decision.
Spokespeople for the disgraced producer said in a statement he had been taken to Bellevue Hospital on Sunday night because of several medical issues.
The key quote: “We can confirm that Mr. Weinstein had a procedure and surgery on his heart today,” Craig Rothfeld and Juda Engelmayer said. They did not provide any information on his condition.
What else to know: Weinstein suffers from diabetes, high blood pressure, spinal stenosis, fluid in his heart and lungs, and had recently contracted COVID-19 and double pneumonia, his representatives have said.
What happens next: Weinstein, 72, is due in court this week where prosecutors have presented evidence to a New York grand jury to try and secure a new indictment against him on sex crimes charges.
