Harvey Weinstein files $5M lawsuit over unhygienic jail treatment
What's the story
Disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein has reportedly filed a legal claim against New York City, seeking $5 million in damages. The 72-year-old alleges that he is receiving "substandard" medical treatment in unhygienic conditions at the notorious Rikers Island jail complex. His lawyers argue he was returned to Rikers before fully recovering from his hospitalizations earlier this year. The city's law department and Department of Correction have not yet responded to the allegations.
Lawyer's statement
Weinstein's lawyer detailed the 'inhumane' conditions
Weinstein's attorney, Imran H Ansari, called the conditions at Rikers "inhumane." The claim accuses the facility of negligence from "freezing" conditions to a lack of clean clothes. He reportedly said, "When I last visited him, I found him with blood spatter on his prison garb, possibly from IVs, clothes that had not been washed for weeks...he had not even been provided clean underwear - hardly sanitary conditions for someone with severe medical conditions."
Health and trials
Weinstein's health conditions and legal battles
Weinstein has been fighting several health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, spinal stenosis, and fluid in his heart and lungs. He was hospitalized briefly in April and July for the same. In October, Weinstein was diagnosed with cancer. The mogul has been in city custody since earlier this year after the New York Court of Appeals overturned his 2020 rape conviction. He maintains his innocence with a retrial scheduled for 2025.