Harvey Weinstein undergoes emergency heart surgery, condition stable

A former film producer, currently serving a prison sentence for rape and abuse, underwent emergency heart surgery on Monday. "Harvey Weinstein is in stable condition," said his spokesperson.

The 72-year-old Weinstein, awaiting a retrial in New York on charges of rape and sexual assault, was transferred from the Rikers Island prison complex to Bellevue Hospital on Sunday evening. On Monday, he underwent heart surgery after complaining of chest pains. "His condition is stable. He is currently resting, and we hope that he is out of danger for now," Weinstein's spokesperson, Juda Engelmayer, said. Deadline magazine reported that Weinstein was in critical condition after the surgery. People working on behalf of the former producer deny these reports.

Weinstein, who in February 2023 was sentenced to 16 years in prison for rape and sexual misconduct in Los Angeles in 2013, is currently held at Rikers Island, awaiting retrial in Manhattan. The New York Court of Appeals decided to overturn the 2020 rape conviction.

There have long been reports of the disgraced producer’s health problems. In July, he was treated for bilateral pneumonia and COVID-19, and earlier, he struggled with diabetes, high blood pressure, spinal canal stenosis, and fluid around his heart and lungs. The latest hospitalisation occurred after British prosecutors dropped charges of sexual misconduct against Weinstein, stating that "there is no longer a realistic prospect of conviction."

Weinstein became one of the primary targets of the #MeToo movement, which gained momentum in 2017 when women came forward with their stories about his misconduct. In 2020, he was stripped of his honorary CBE title, awarded for his contributions to the British film industry.