Harvey Weinstein The defendant was scheduled for a pretrial hearing in a New York courtroom on Thursday, September 12. Prosecutors were presenting evidence to a grand jury in an attempt to secure additional sexual offense charges against the defendant.
Weinstein was convicted in 2020 of sexually assaulting a former production assistant. Miriam Haley Rape of an aspiring actress Jessica MannHe was sentenced to 23 years in prison. In a stunning 4-3 decision, the New York Court of Appeals overturned Weinstein’s 2020 sexual assault conviction in April of this year. The court ruled that the court “egregiously erred” by allowing a woman other than the one directly involved in the accusations to testify about a separate allegation.
Weinstein was convicted of rape in a separate trial in Los Angeles in 2022 and sentenced to an additional 16 years in prison after his New York sentence is completed. He was initially held at Mohawk Correctional Facility in New York, but has since been transferred to Rikers Island in the Bronx, where he awaits a new trial in November. Weinstein denies all the charges against him.
Here’s everything you need to know about the latest developments from the disgraced former Hollywood mogul and the new charges he’s facing.
What are the new allegations and charges against Weinstein?
Manhattan prosecutors announced at a hearing on Thursday that Weinstein has been indicted on additional sex crimes charges ahead of his retrial in New York. The indictment will remain secret until Weinstein’s arraignment, scheduled for September 18, according to the Associated Press.
The previous hearing in the case took place on July 9, when Assistant District Attorney Nicole Blumberg He suggested Weinstein could face new charges of “further violent sexual assaults.”
“We have spoken to several individuals in Manhattan who claim they were raped by Weinstein,” she said, adding that the incident fell within the statute of limitations. “As we stated in 2020, some women were not ready to move forward with the legal process. Some of them are now ready to move forward,” Blumberg explained.
Weinstein did not attend Thursday’s hearing because he had not been cleared by his doctor following emergency heart and lung surgery earlier this week.
The retrial is scheduled to begin on November 12th.
Why was Weinstein taken to the hospital?
Weinstein underwent emergency heart surgery and remains in “critical condition,” a source close to the producers told Deadline. ABC News first reported Monday that Weinstein was “rushed to Bellevue Hospital” on Sunday night “with several medical conditions.” A statement from his representative said: Craig Rothfeld and Very Engelmayer.
“We can confirm that Mr. Weinstein underwent a cardiac procedure and surgery (Monday), but we cannot comment further at this time,” the statement continued. “As we have previously stated, Mr. Weinstein has a number of significant health issues that require ongoing treatment. We are grateful to the New York City Department of Corrections and the executive team at Rikers Island for acting swiftly to transfer him to Bellevue Hospital.”
Weinstein’s lawyers Arthur Aidarasaid The New York Times Aidala said Weinstein’s 72-year-old client contacted Rothfeld multiple times over the weekend, complaining of feeling unwell. Aidala said that before Weinstein was transferred to the hospital, he and Rothfeld wrote in emails to officials at Rikers Island and Bellevue Corrections Center, “If you do nothing, this man will die on your watch.”
Rothfeld later confirmed that Weinstein underwent surgery on Monday morning “to relieve the large amount of fluid in his lungs and heart” and was currently recovering in intensive care. After the surgery, Weinstein reportedly called Rothfeld and said he was “grateful to be alive.”
Weinstein was hospitalized in July with COVID-19 and pneumonia in both lungs.
