Former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, 72, had emergency heart surgery Monday after experiencing chest pains and being transported from Rikers Island to a Manhattan hospital late Sunday, according to his lawyer.
Weinstein, currently held in jail awaiting his second trial on sex crimes charges, was moved to Bellevue Hospital after notifying his lawyers that he was feeling ill over the weekend.
“Mr. Weinstein was rushed to Bellevue Hospital last night due to several medical conditions,” Craig Rothfeld and Juda Engelmayer told ABC. “We can confirm that Mr. Weinstein had a procedure and surgery on his heart today, however, cannot comment any further than that.”
The surgery follows Weinstein’s July hospitalization for multiple health issues, including COVID-19 and double pneumonia, USA Today reports.
He was admitted to the Bellevue Hospital Prison Ward in New York City, where he was treated for ongoing conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, spinal stenosis, and fluid around his heart and lungs.
“As we have extensively stated before, Mr. Weinstein suffers a plethora of significant health issues that need ongoing treatment,” Rothfeld and Engelmayer added. “We are grateful to the executive team at the New York City Department of Correction and Rikers Island for acting swiftly in taking him to Bellevue Hospital.”
Meanwhile, Weinstein is set to appear in court this week in New York, where prosecutors are seeking a new indictment on sex crime charges by presenting evidence to a grand jury.
He has consistently denied the allegations, claiming all encounters were consensual.
[Feature Photo: Harvey Weinstein arrives at a Manhattan courthouse for his rape trial in New York, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)]
