Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer claims ex-movie mogul is ‘almost dead’
Disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein recently suffered a near-fatal health scare as he faced new criminal charges.
September 13, 2024, published at 4:00 PM ET
Harvey Weinstein ‘almost’ died last weekend before emergency heart surgery, as the disgraced movie mogul faces more criminal charges.
The former film executive, 72, has been indicted by a New York grand jury on new charges, prosecutors announced Thursday, but he was unable to attend the hearing due to serious health problems, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
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Vulnerable Harvey Weinstein was taken to a hospital in Manhattan for emergency treatment after heart complications.
His lawyer Arthur Aidala said the prosecutors had informed him of the three new criminal cases from 2005, 2006 and 2016, but did not provide additional details.
But in explaining his client’s absence, Aidala told Judge Curtis Farber Weinstein that he “almost died” before the surgery that took place last weekend.
His lawyer Craig Rothfeld confirmed on Sunday that he was in a “stable” condition after being hospitalized to remove fluid from his heart and lungs.
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The disgraced movie mogul faces three new criminal charges and a new trial.
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He said: “Mr. Weinstein was rushed to Bellevue Hospital last night due to various medical conditions.
“We can confirm that Mr. Weinstein underwent a procedure and surgery on his heart today, but we cannot comment beyond that.
“As we have previously stated in detail, Mr. Weinstein suffers from a plethora of serious health conditions that require ongoing treatment.”
Juda Engelmayer, a spokesman for Weinstein, said: “His condition is stable. He is now resting.”
He added that he was “hopefully out of danger for now”.
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Harvey Weinstein’s health has deteriorated since his alleged sex crimes came to light.
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Weinstein was given a 23-year prison sentence in February 2020, but this was overturned by an appeals court last April.
He faces more allegations of rape and sexual misconduct from more than a hundred people.
Weinstein has denied all allegations of rape and sexual assault.
His representatives have previously said that the movie mogul suffers from a range of health problems, including diabetes, high blood pressure, spinal stenosis and fluid in his heart and lungs.
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Harvey Weinstein is now recovering in a hospital, rather than a prison, because the facility provides better medical supervision essential to his condition.
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In July, his team said he was hospitalized for COVID and pneumonia in both lungs.
The former film director is currently recovering in a hospital in Manhattan.
On Thursday, Judge Curtis Farber granted a defense request to move Weinstein to Bellevue Hospital indefinitely rather than return to the Rikers infirmary.
His legal team argued that the hospital is providing better medical supervision essential to his condition as he braces for the new charges.
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Jessica Mann, one of the key figures from the 2020 trial against Weinstein, expressed solidarity with the new accusers.
She said: “For those who continue to have the courage to stand up to Harvey, you are not alone.
“I will stand with you as we fight for a future where monsters like Harvey no longer hide in our closets, they’re just behind bars.”
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