Harvey Weinstein Demands $5 Million In Damages Following Claims Of Health Harming Prison Conditions

Harvey Weinstein's cries about unfavorable prison conditions have skyrocketed with his legal team fighting back against the alleged mismanagement of his health. 

The disgraced movie producer recently moved to get himself transferred out of the infamous Rikers Island to a medical center. His lawyers claimed his well-being was at risk on prison grounds and needed better care to avoid fatal consequences.

Harvey Weinstein's defense team didn't stop there, as they pushed for monetary compensation over the convicted sex offender's alleged woes.

According to new reports, Weinstein and his legal reps demanded $5 million in damages from Bellevue Hospital. The medical center has repeatedly treated the media personality in the past year for several health concerns, including an incident that required a stay in their ICU unit.

Despite his history with Bellevue, Weinstein slammed them for releasing him back to prison before he was fully healed. The $5 million compensation wasn't attached to just the hospital, with the disgraced movie producer listing the City of New York and its relevant agencies in his case.

Weinstein argued he suffered physically and psychologically over his "horrific" treatment, most especially the alleged health-damaging conditions in prison.

Things were so bad, per his claims, that his team needed to file an emergency petition with the court. TMZ reported they demanded Weinstein's transfer from Rikers Island to Bellevue Hospital.

In the emergency petition, Weinstein's lawyers stressed that he must be transferred to the medical center. They claimed the prison had grossly mismanaged his already deteriorating health, firing accusations at medical staff of failing to provide him with proper healthcare.

Weinstein's legal reps accused Rikers' medical staff of several problems, including misdiagnosing at least one condition. Attorney Imran H. Ansari shed more light on the alleged situation in a statement, implying the mistreatment of Weinstein's ailments could have fatal consequences.

Ansari claimed Weinstein's living conditions were a nightmare, alleging he lived in "freezing" temperatures without clean clothes.

These awful conditions allegedly worsened the Weinstein Company co-founder's health, resulting in COVID-19, double pneumonia, and a recent surgery to alleviate the fluid buildup in his heart and lungs.

Ansari blamed Weinstein's poor condition on NYC officials, alleging he repeatedly alerted them about his client's declining health behind bars and the need to transfer him to Bellevue.

However, his cries fell on deaf ears, and he was ignored, forcing him to file an emergency petition for said transfer to the medical center.

Ansari doubled down on the transfer being crucial to Weinstein's life, insisting he should be housed in Bellevue for the duration of his sexual assault trial. He argued that his stay in the medical center would help Weinstein stabilize his health and prevent further issues, including premature death.

Weinstein's health problems included cancer, diabetes, extensive coronary artery disease, and chest pain due to lowered levels of blood flowing to the heart. The list continued with obstructive sleep apnea, thyroid issues, obesity, chronic lower back and leg pain, anemia, hypertension, and more.

The allegedly health-damaging conditions of Rikers Prison made headlines days earlier, with The Blast covering the story. Weinstein's rep, Juda Engelmayer, explained the situation, claiming the convicted sex offender had gained significant weight since his incarceration.

Weinstein reportedly gained over 25 pounds since his transfer from Bellevue Hospital, with nearly 19 pounds gained in the past month. The weight increase, per Engelmayer, posed a significant risk to Weinstein's existing diabetes and heart issues.

The media personality's troubles continued with claims of severe tongue inflammation that impaired his ability to swallow.

Additionally, Engelmayer slammed the prison for having zero support for Weinstein's mobility challenges. These alleged health concerns landed Weinstein back in Bellevue for treatment.

Before sharing his health concerns and alleged prison conditions, The Blast reported Weinstein had supported Justin Baldoni in his legal tussle with his "It Ends With Us" co-star, Blake Lively. He applauded the movie's director for filing a defamation suit against his accusers.

Baldoni's lawsuit included shots at the New York Times for publishing the allegations against him as facts. Weinstein supported this argument, claiming his infamous fall from grace in 2017 was misrepresented by the Times. In his words:

"Watching Justin Baldoni take legal action against the New York Times and its reporters, accusing them of manipulating communications and ignoring evidence that countered Ms. Lively's claims, hit me hard."

"It brought back everything I experienced when the Times reported on me in 2017. They did the same thing: cherry-picked what fit their story and ignored critical context and facts that could have challenged the narrative," Weinstein claimed.