Harvey Weinstein has tested positive for coronavirus while in prison, according
to Michael Powers, president of the New York State Correctional Officers and
Police Benevolent Association.
The former Hollywood producer is now in isolation.
Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of rape and assault last month and
sentenced to 23 years in prison.
His lawyers have vowed to appeal against his conviction.
Harvey Weinstein is being held at Wende Correctional Facility near Buffalo
in upstate New York. Two prisoners at the facility tested positive for the
virus on March 22, an officer who did not wish to give his name told Reuters.
Michael Powers told Reuters that several members of staff had been
quarantined. He expressed concern for corrections officers who he claims lack
proper protective equipment.
A lawyer for Harvey Weinstein said his legal team had not been informed of
the coronavirus diagnosis.
Imran Ansari said: “Given Mr.
Weinstein’s state of health, we are of course concerned, if this is the case,
and we are vigilantly monitoring the situation.”
Before arriving at Wende, Harvey Weinstein had spent time at Rikers Island,
a prison in New York City and a hospital where he was treated for heart
problems and chest pains.
The former Hollywood mogul was found guilty of committing a first-degree
criminal sexual act against production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006 and of
the third-degree rape of aspiring actress Jessica Mann in 2013.
New York jurors acquitted him of the most serious charges, of predatory
sexual assault, which could have seen him given an even longer jail term.
Dozens of women have come forward with allegations of misconduct, including rape, against Harvey Weinstein since October 2017.
Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was
convicted in New York City of third-degree rape and first-degree criminal sexual
act.
The 67-year-old was cleared of the most serious count of predatory sexual
assault. He faces up to 25 years in prison.
Harvey Weinstein still faces charges in Los Angeles of assaulting two women
in 2013.
At least 80 women had accused him of misconduct stretching back decades,
including actresses Gwyneth Paltrow, Uma Thurman and Salma Hayek.
The allegations were at the center of the #MeToo movement that inspired
women to go public with misconduct allegations against powerful men.
Haevey Weinstein once enjoyed phenomenal success with Oscar winners such Pulp Fiction, Good Will Hunting, The King’s
Speech and Shakespeare in Love.
The jury of seven men and five women reached their verdict on February 24,
the fifth day of deliberations.
Harvey Weinstein – who denied all charges – was convicted of assaulting
former production assistant Mimi Haleyi in 2006 and raping Jessica Mann, a
former aspiring actress, in 2013. The judge ordered him sent to jail
immediately.
However, the jury acquitted him on
two counts of predatory sexual assault, which carried a potential life
sentence, and first-degree rape of Jessica Mann.
In the minutes after the verdict, Harvey
Weinstein showed no emotion as he talked to his lead lawyer Donna Rotunno. He
will be sentenced on March 11.
The third-degree rape charge in New
York is defined as engaging in intercourse with a person who is incapable of
consent, or under age 17, or who has not given consent for a reason other than
the inability to consent.
Prosecutors portrayed Harvey Weinstein
as a serial predator who used his position of power in Hollywood to manipulate
and attack women.
The defense team said intercourse between
Harvey Weinstein and the accusers was consensual, and that the accusers used
the relations to advance their careers. The allegations amounted to “regret
renamed as rape”, the defense said. Two of the accusers kept in contact
with Harvey Weinstein and had intimate relations with him after the alleged
attacks, they pointed out.
Mimi Haleyi, who had worked on one of Harvey Weinstein’s TV productions,
said she was assaulted by the producer after he invited her to his Lower
Manhattan home.
Jessica Mann said that she found
herself in an “extremely degrading” relationship with him that did
not involve intercourse until he raped her in a New York City hotel room in
2013.
She said he was a “Jekyll and
Hyde” figure who could be charming in public but showed his dark side when
they were alone.
Another one of Harvey Weinstein’s
accusers, actress Annabella Sciorra, told jurors he raped her in her apartment
one night in the mid-1990s.
Her allegation was too old to be
charged as a separate crime, but prosecutors used it in an attempt to
demonstrate that the accused was a repeat offender.
Following the verdict, Annabella
Sciorra said: “I spoke for myself
and with the strength of the 80-plus victims of Harvey Weinstein in my
heart.”
Three other also women testified they were lured to apparent work meetings
with Harvey Weinstein, then assaulted.
Donna Rotunno told reporters outside the courthouse: “The fight is not over…Harvey is unbelievably strong. He took it
like a man and he knows we will continue to fight for him and he knows that
this is not over.”
The lawyer said her client was disappointed, but “mentally tough”.
This website has updated its privacy policy in compliance with EU GDPR 2016/679. Please read this to review the updates about which personal data we collect on our site. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our updated policy. AcceptRejectRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.