Harvey Weinstein wants out of Rikers Island badly … and into a medical center during his retrial in his New York criminal case.
The jailed movie mogul’s legal team filed an emergency petition with the court to have him transferred from the notorious Rikers prison complex to Bellevue Hospital due to alleged gross mismanagement of his deteriorating health.
According to Tuesday’s filing, obtained by TMZ, Weinstein accuses Rikers medical staff of failing to provide him with proper healthcare, as well as misdiagnosing at least one condition. Weinstein says this led to his health becoming wildly unstable, requiring “regular” hospitalizationat Bellevue, including its ICU unit.
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Weinstein says he has a laundry list of medical issues — such as cancer, diabetes, extensive coronary artery disease, chest pain due to lowered levels of blood flowing to the heart, obstructive sleep apnea, thyroid issues, obesity, chronic lower back and leg pain, anemia, hypertension, and more.
His attorney, Imran H. Ansari, issued a statement, warning that the continued mistreatment of Weinstein’s ailments could have fatal consequences.
Ansari says the conditions inside Rikers are a nightmare, with Weinstein living in “freezing” temperatures without clean clothes. Ansari says the conditions are so bad, Weinstein developed COVID-19 and double pneumonia, leading to a recent surgery to alleviate fluid built up in his heart and lungs.
Ansari says he has continuously made NYC officials aware of these concerns, but he’s been ignored, prompting him to file the emergency petition. Ansari insists Weinstein should be housed at Bellevue for the duration of his sexual assault trial in order to stabilize his health and prevent further stress … and even premature death.
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And though Ansari and Weinstein trust Bellevue to provide him with proper healthcare, they’re not fully out of the woods. The ex-Hollywood honcho is requesting $5 million in damages from the hospital, plus the City of New York and its relevant agencies … arguing he has suffered physically and psychologically over his “horrific” treatment — which includes Bellevue releasing him back to jail before being fully recovered.
We reached out to the NYC Department of Corrections and the NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation. The Dept. of Corrections tells TMZ … “The safety and health of every person in our jails will always be our top priority.”
