Harvey Weinstein Reportedly Hospitalized After 2020 Rape Conviction Was Overturned

Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has reportedly been hospitalized just days after his 2020 rape conviction in a #metoo trial was overturned by an appeals court.

According to his lawyer, Weinstein had to be taken to a Hospital on his return to New York City. He is said to be suffering from "a lot" of problems and needs to undergo several tests.

Weinstein, upon his return to Rikers Island on Friday, was reportedly moved to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan due to his having multiple issues.

The producer's lawyer, Arthur Aidala, revealed that Weinstein was "examined" on his return to jail and then quickly sent to the hospital.

"They examined him and sent him to Bellevue. It seems like he needs a lot of help, physically," Aidala said, per the DailyMail. "He's got a lot of problems. He's getting all kinds of tests. He's somewhat of a train wreck health-wise."

Aidala emphasized that Weinstien's ailments are "physical" and that he is mentally "sharp as a tack" and has "feet firmly planted on the ground."

The lawyer further claimed that his client "was not treated well." He said, "They refused to give him even a sip of water, no food, no bathroom break. He's a 72-year-old sickly man."

The producer's hospitalization comes after his 2020 rape conviction was overturned, with a retrial expected to be held in the future.

On Thursday, the New York Court of Appeal shockingly overturned Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, claiming that the judge who oversaw the trial "erroneously admitted testimony of uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts against persons other than the complainants of the underlying crimes."

In the Appeals Court ruling of the verdict against Weinstein, Judge Jenny Rivera wrote, per Deadline: "Defendant was convicted by a jury for various sexual crimes against three named complainants and, on appeal, claims that he was judged, not on the conduct for which he was indicted, but on irrelevant, prejudicial, and untested allegations of prior bad acts."

Weinstein was initially charged and arrested for rape in 2018 following shocking revelations made by the New York Times in 2017. He was subsequently convicted in February 2020.

In the 4-3 majority opinion, Judge Rivera further noted that errors were "compounded" when the court in the 2020 trial, overseen by Judge James Burke, ruled that Weinstein could be "cross-examined" about abuse allegations despite not having a criminal history.

She wrote, "We conclude that the trial court erroneously admitted testimony of uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts against persons other than the complainants of the underlying crimes because that testimony served no material non-propensity purpose."

Judge Rivera added, "The court compounded that error when it ruled that defendant, who had no criminal history, could be cross-examined about those allegations as well as numerous allegations of misconduct that portrayed defendant in a highly prejudicial light. The synergistic effect of these errors was not harmless."

Following the Court of Appeals decisions, the Manhattan District Attorney's office said in a statement: "We will do everything in our power to retry this case and remain steadfast in our commitment to survivors of sexual assault."

Several people have since spoken out about the shocking decision to overturn Weinstein's 2020 rape convictions.

The founder of MeToo, Tarana Burke, spoke out against the ruling, saying, "This is not a blow to the movement. It is a clarion call, and we are prepared to answer that call."

According to Deadline, she further registered her displeasure, noting that she was "devastated for the survivors who are connected to this case and the survivors who had found some solace and catharsis in the original verdict around Harvey Weinstein."

Burke said that many people saw the previous verdict as proof "there was going to be a change" and that it "marked a difference in how this justice system was going to move and operate."

Although she is disappointed in the court's ruling, Burke stated that the "decision actually means that we have a movement."

Speaking on the court of appeals' ruling, Weinstein's spokesperson, Juda Engelmayer, said, "We're cautiously excited. He still has a long road ahead of him because of the Los Angeles case. We are studying the ramifications of the appeal right now."

His lawyer, Aidala, also asserted: "We all worked very hard, and this is a tremendous victory for every criminal defendant in the state of New York."

Despite the reversal of his New York conviction, Weinstein will remain incarcerated due to a separate conviction in Los Angeles in 2022 for another rape, resulting in a 16-year prison sentence. However, he was acquitted in Los Angeles on charges related to one of the women who testified in the New York trial.

The 72-year-old has also been serving a 23-year sentence in a New York prison after being found guilty of a criminal sex act for coercing oral sex from a TV and film production assistant in 2006 and third-degree rape for assaulting an aspiring actress in 2013.