Harvey Weinstein, the former Hollywood mogul, has been hospitalized following a positive COVID-19 test and a diagnosis of double pneumonia, Fox News reported.
Currently serving a prison sentence for sexual assault, Weinstein now faces significant health challenges while awaiting a retrial for an overturned rape conviction.
Weinstein, 72, is enduring several severe health issues, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and spinal stenosis, which have necessitated his hospitalization at Bellevue Hospital's Prison Ward in New York City.
The complications from these conditions have been exacerbated by fluid accumulation in his heart and lungs, leading to his recent health decline.
He was transferred to the hospital after testing positive for COVID-19 and developing double pneumonia, a serious condition that affects both lungs.
Weinstein's ongoing health problems have been public for some time. His representative, Craig Rothfeld, highlighted the variety of ailments Weinstein suffers from on a daily basis.
Rothfeld stated, "Weinstein is being treated for myriad health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, spinal stenosis, fluid on his heart and lungs, and various other conditions."
Additionally, he confirmed, "Mr. Weinstein tested positive for COVID and contracted double pneumonia in his lungs."
The gravity of Weinstein's health issues has intersected dramatically with his legal troubles. Convicted in February 2020 for sexual misconduct, he was sentenced to 16 years after a Los Angeles jury found him guilty of rape and other charges related to a woman known as Jane Doe 1.
Weinstein's legal team has been actively fighting his convictions, seeking retrials and opposing extradition efforts by California following an overturned rape conviction from 2020.
This legal turmoil has unfolded while Weinstein remains in a hospital setting since the day of his incarceration, according to his attorney, Diana Fabi Samson.
His 2020 rape conviction was overturned by a New York appeals court in April, prompting plans for a retrial set for November 12. In the meantime, his health condition has been a focal point in legal arguments against his extradition to California.
During a May 9 hearing, Weinstein's legal team opposed the extradition efforts, arguing that his fragile health would be jeopardized by the travel.
Samson, during a post-hearing press conference, emphasized, "Our main concern is that Mr. Weinstein is here in New York, so we can prepare for trial and that he gets the medical care he needs."
