Harvey Weinstein’s stint in a private hospital room has come to an end.
The 72-year-old disgraced media mogul was relocated back to the West Facility on Rikers Island shortly after THE CITY’s report revealed that he was being housed in a private room within Bellevue Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit, isolated from other detainees.
According to Weinstein’s spokesperson, Juda Engelmayer, the article was the catalyst for this change.
Typically, most city detainees with serious medical conditions are accommodated in the Department of Correction’s medical unit on the 19th floor of the Manhattan public hospital. However, Weinstein enjoyed privileges such as his own phone, bathroom, and television, amenities not commonly afforded to other city detainees. He spent his days engaging with his legal team and watching television programs.
Weinstein had been transferred to Bellevue immediately after his arrival at Rikers Island on April 27, following the overturning of his 2020 rape conviction by a state appeals court. At that time, he complained of chest pain and reportedly requested a Pepsi.
His legal team has cited multiple serious medical conditions, including constant chest and abdominal pain. However, after undergoing a series of tests, medical staff at Bellevue determined that there was no need for him to remain in the hospital.
While Engelmayer stressed that Weinstein’s transfer back to Rikers was made by qualified medical staff, officials did not provide further details or rationale for his stay in the Bellevue ICU.
Weinstein’s initial placement at the West Facility on Rikers Island was met with dissatisfaction, according to sources familiar with the situation. This facility, originally intended for individuals with contagious diseases, now houses high-profile detainees like former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg, who typically have their own cells.
Weinstein’s return to Rikers comes after New York’s highest court nullified his conviction, citing procedural errors. Although his 23-year prison sentence was overturned, Weinstein remains incarcerated due to a separate rape conviction in Los Angeles, for which he received a 16-year sentence.
