Disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein underwent emergency heart surgery Monday morning at Bellevue Hospital, according to a legal representative.
Weinstein was moved from Rikers Island Sunday night after complaining of not feeling well, and having a cough and weight gain, the representative Craig Rothfeld told NBC News.
Weinstein is in the ICU after undergoing heart surgery Monday morning to “alleviate the massive amount of fluid on his lung and heart.”
He is remaining in custody in New York while awaiting retrial on rape and sexual assault charges in Manhattan.
Weinstein, who has denied that he raped or sexually assaulted anyone, was convicted in Los Angeles in 2022 while already serving a 23-year sentence in New York. His 2020 conviction in Manhattan was was thrown out this spring by the state’s top court, which ruled that the judge in the original trial unfairly allowed testimony against Weinstein based on allegations that weren’t part of the case.
The retrial in Manhattan is tentatively scheduled for November.
Weinstein’s legal team is appealing the Los Angeles conviction and its sentence of 16 years in prison.
Weinstein could be charged with more allegations of sexual misconduct by a New York grand jury, NBC News reported Sept. 4, citing a source.
A New York grand jury has been convened to weigh whether to bring new charges against the disgraced former movie mogul, a source with knowledge of the proceedings told NBC News.
Weinstein’s attorney, Arthur Aidala, said last week in a statement: “We will be prepared for whatever comes our way, they are going to do whatever they can to make sure Harvey doesn’t see the light of day.”
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office declined to comment in an email to NBC News.
Weinstein has maintained that any sexual encounters were consensual.
