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Disgraced Hollywood producer and convicted criminal predator Harvey Weinstein has told a New York City judge he believes he’s going to die in Rikers Island prison if his upcoming retrial isn’t moved up. Weinstein, 72 years old, is being tried on charges that were originally handed down in 2018.
Harvey Weinstein is currently serving a 16-year sentence in Rikers Island for charges he was convicted of in California. While Weinstein was found guilty on two felony counts in New York in 2020 and sentenced to 23 years in prison, those charges were overturned in April 2024 due to what the New York Court of Appeals called “egregious errors” in procedure.
Despite the overturning, however, the face of the #MeToo movement remains imprisoned on the California charges, and a pretrial hearing for the re-trial was held on Wednesday.
Appearing in front of Judge Curtis Farber, Weinstein — who was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia, an uncommon form of cancer of the bone marrow, last Fall — described Rikers as a “hell hole” and predicted that he “won’t be here” if the re-trial remains scheduled for April 15.
“I don’t know how much longer I can hold on… I’m asking you, and begging you,” Weinstein said in a New York City court on Wednesday, January 29. “Every week counts. I’m holding on because I want justice for myself. I want this to be over.”
“There are so many people suffering on Rikers Island, so many people I’m with in prison. I speak for all of them,” he added.
Weinstein asked Judge Farber to move the re-trial up a week to begin on April 7 instead of the 15th, to which Farber indicated he would consider if all the lawyers involved agreed.
“Judge Farber demonstrated exceptional responsiveness, and we deeply appreciate his thoughtful consideration of Harvey’s condition and circumstances,” Weinstein’s lawyer Juda Engelmayer said. “We remain confident in a swift and efficient trial process and firmly believe that Harvey will be fully exonerated.
Weinstein — who has been accused of sexual harassment and/or assault by over 100 women — was indicted on new charges in New York City in September 2024 following new allegations from three different alleged victims.
Prior to becoming the poster boy of the #MeToo movement and one of the most notorious criminals in America, Weinstein was the founder of the production companies Miramax and The Weinstein Company.