Harvey Weinstein Hospitalized Following ‘Concerning Blood Test,’ According to Attorney

NEW YORK—Harvey Weinstein was admitted to the hospital on Monday after an “alarming blood test,” according to his attorney, just days after the fallen film executive filed a lawsuit claiming inadequate medical care at the infamous jail complex in New York City.

Weinstein, aged 72, was transferred to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan for “urgent treatment due to a concerning blood test result that necessitates immediate medical care,” his attorney, Imran Ansari, stated in a press release.

“It is anticipated that he will remain there until his condition stabilizes,” the statement added. “His lack of proper care constitutes not only medical malpractice but also a breach of his constitutional rights.”

A representative from New York City’s Department of Correction did not provide an immediate response to an inquiry. The agency’s inmate records confirmed that Weinstein had been moved from Rikers Island to the Bellevue Hospital Prison Ward in Manhattan.

Weinstein has been in city custody since earlier this year after the New York Court of Appeals overturned his 2020 conviction for rape in the state. His case is scheduled to be retried in 2025. He has maintained his innocence.

In a legal action submitted last week, Weinstein’s legal team accused the city of delivering substandard medical treatment for several health issues, including chronic myeloid leukemia and diabetes.

“On my most recent visit, I observed him with blood stains on his prison uniform, likely from IV drips, garments that hadn’t been washed for weeks, and without clean underwear—far from hygienic standards for someone with serious health issues,” Ansari remarked, comparing Rikers Island to a “gulag.”

The beleaguered jail complex, situated on an island in New York City’s East River, has come under increasing scrutiny for its treatment of detainees and perilous conditions. Just last week, a federal judge paved the way for a potential federal takeover of the jail system, stating that the city had put its incarcerated individuals in “unconstitutional danger.”

Weinstein’s publicist, Juda Engelmayer, reiterated these claims in a statement on Monday.

“Mr. Weinstein, who suffers from a range of illnesses, including leukemia, has been denied the medical care that is essential for his condition, regardless of his status as a prisoner,” he stated. “In many respects, this mistreatment amounts to cruel and unusual punishment.”

By Jake Offenhartz