Harvey Weinstein requests judge to be allowed to spend his nights at a NYC hospital instead of jail for the duration of his retrial

Film producer Harvey Weinstein’s retrial began, and the jury selection process was initiated on April 15, 2025. For the unversed, he was convicted of r*pe in 2020 and faced 23 years’ imprisonment. However, five years after that, the State’s court dismissed the convictions and called for a retrial, according to CBS News.

On April 16, 2025, his lawyers requested that the judge allow Weinstein to be placed in a hospital in New York and not jail throughout the retrial period.

According to The Guardian, his legal team argued that Harvey Weinstein's time at the Rikers Island jail complex made his health problems worse. Some of the conditions he now suffers from include obstructive sleep apnea, sciatica, cardiac issues, etc.

They suggested that he would be in better condition in the prison ward of Bellevue Hospital. He had been transferred to Bellevue for medical care several times in recent months due to various illnesses. His lawyer, Imran Ansari, mentioned a recent tongue infection his client suffered at Rikers.

Ansari also stated that Harvey Weinstein had gained approximately twenty pounds in the past month. As quoted by the news outlet, he said:

“Because of this mistreatment, he has been worn down considerably health-wise, and now faces the stress of trial in this condition, which may very well lead to serious health complications, even death.”

In a previous statement from November 2024, Ansari described his last visit to the prison, saying that Weinstein was wearing stained prison clothes. He also hadn’t been given clean underwear. The attorney pointed out the unsanitary conditions for someone dealing with serious health issues.

Arthur Aidala speaks about Harvey Weinstein’s health issues in a recent interview

One of Harvey Weinstein’s attorneys, Arthur Aidala, had previously stated his client’s desire for a fair trial within a different climate as compared to the first. During the first trial, six women shared their testimonies against the accused. However, this time, only three accusers will be called in by the prosecutors.

Aidala spoke about his client’s health condition in an interview with Fox 5 on April 14, 2025, saying:

“He's gained a lot of weight and they are worried about it's all liquid water around his heart. This weekend, he's got a horrible infection in his mouth, his throat and he's struggling to speak and guys, when you're on going about to go on trial and you need to communicate with your lawyer and lawyers, you know, not being able to speak very well is not a good thing.”

Arthur Aidala explained that Harvey Weinstein had been taken to Bellevue on a Saturday and had pleaded to stay overnight so he could continue receiving his medication. He was assured that his medication would be sent with him to Rikers, but that didn’t happen.

He pointed out that, despite public opinion, Weinstein’s conviction had been overturned, meaning he was legally presumed innocent. He added that the poor treatment wasn’t just about Harvey Weinstein, as conditions at Rikers were a serious problem that needed urgent attention.

The producer has already been sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment in connection with a r*pe conviction in 2022 in Los Angeles. His legal team is reportedly appealing this too.

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Also Read: Graydon Carter, ex-Vanity Fair editor, reveals why Harvey Weinstein was banned from Oscars party

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