Behind Bars: Harvey Weinstein's Jailhouse Suffering
Paul Riverbank, 4/28/2024The once-powerful Harvey Weinstein finds himself in a precarious situation, facing potential retrial after his New York conviction was overturned, while grappling with deteriorating health behind bars. The disgraced mogul's downfall serves as a stark reminder of the lasting consequences of abuse and the enduring strength of survivors.
Disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, whose 2020 rape conviction was sensationally overturned by a New York appeals court last week, found himself in familiar territory over the weekend -- hospitalized and undergoing a battery of medical tests. The 72-year-old convicted rapist, described by his lawyer Arthur Aidala as a "train wreck health wise," was rushed to Bellevue Hospital on Manhattan's Upper East Side shortly after being transferred to the city's Rikers Island jail complex on Friday.
"They examined him and sent him to Bellevue. It seems like he needs a lot of help, physically. He's got a lot of problems," Aidala told the Associated Press, painting a grim picture of Weinstein's deteriorating condition behind bars. "He's getting all kinds of tests. He's somewhat of a train wreck health wise." The once powerful Hollywood producer -- who faced allegations of sexual misconduct from over 80 women and helped ignite the #MeToo movement -- had been serving a 23-year sentence at the Mohawk Correctional Facility upstate for forcibly performing oral sex on a production assistant in 2006 and raping an aspiring actress in 2013.
That conviction, hailed as a landmark victory for survivors of sexual assault, was shockingly upended last Thursday when New York's highest court ruled 4-3 that testimony from other accusers alleging prior uncharged incidents had unfairly influenced the jury. "The testimony served no material non-propensity purpose," the court wrote, determining the judge had "erroneously admitted testimony of uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts." While the decision doesn't invalidate Weinstein's separate 16-year California sentence for rape and sexual assault, it does open the door for a possible retrial in the high-profile New York case.
"Everything is in our power to retry this case and remain steadfast in our commitment to survivors of sexual assault," vowed the Manhattan District Attorney's office, which aims to "center survivors' experiences and wellbeing in every decision we make." Weinstein's legal team, however, was triumphant -- "Justice was served," crowed defense attorney Donna Rotunno. "This decision restores faith in the foundation of our system." A spokesperson added they were "cautiously optimistic," though acknowledging "a long road ahead" due to the California conviction.
For now, that road has detoured to Bellevue, where the ailing Weinstein was undergoing a litany of medical exams over the weekend. "The doctors told him he's like a car with 100,000 miles on it and he needs an oil change," quipped Aidala, who claimed Weinstein was even denied "a sip of water, no food, no bathroom break" at his latest trial. While taxpayers will foot the bill for his treatment, the exorbitant personal cost of Weinstein's actions -- to his victims, to society, and to his own ruined legacy -- remains incalculable.
