Harvey Weinstein 'begging' for earlier retrial, 'holding on' amid health issues: Reports
Harvey Weinstein has reportedly requested a judge move up his sexual assault retrial amid his ongoing health issues.
The embattled media producer, who has been hospitalized for various health issues, told a New York judge in a Wednesday hearing that he doesn't "know how much longer I can hold on" ahead of his retrial and that he is "holding on because I want justice for myself and because I want this to be over with," according to The Associated Press and ABC News. A tentative court date for his retrial was originally set for November but has since been pushed to April 15.
Paste BN has reached out to Weinstein's lawyers for comment.
Last April, a New York appeals court overturned the Hollywood producer's 2020 rape conviction. Weinstein was granted a retrial the following month and pleaded not guilty in September.
Weinstein's established medical problems include chronic myeloid leukemia (bone marrow cancer), diabetes, coronary artery disease, obstructive sleep apnea, thyroid issues, obesity, high blood pressure and chronic back pain.
"I'm in a serious emergency situation. I am begging the court to move your date," Weinstein told the judge, so he can "get out of this hell hole as quickly as possible," according to the outlets.
The disgraced media mogul has been in and out of the hospital in the last several years. In July, Weinstein contracted COVID-19 and double pneumonia, and in September, he was rushed to the hospital for emergency heart surgery. In November, Weinstein threatened to file a lawsuit against Rikers Island, where he is in custody, and Bellevue Hospital, where he has been treated, for medical neglect.
A narrow New York appeals court decision in April found that the judge in Weinstein's 2020 case erred by admitting "irrelevant" testimony from women whose allegations were not a part of the case.
At the time, the weekslong, landmark 2020 trial resulted in Weinstein's rape conviction and a judge sentenced him to 23 years in prison. Weinstein continues to serve a 16-year prison sentence stemming from a 2022 California conviction for rape.
The cases, which helped galvanize the #MeToo movement and spurred a reckoning in the entertainment industry, were part of a larger wave of allegations against the movie mogul.
This story was updated to include additional information.
Contributing: KiMi Robinson and Brendan Morrow