Harvey Weinstein Suffers Heart Attack After Receiving Prison Sentence
Former Hollywood movie producer Harvey Weinstein was rushed to a New York hospital Wednesday night following a suspected mild heart attack.
Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in a New York state prison Wednesday morning after being convicted of third-degree rape and a criminal sex act.
Following his sentencing, The New York Times reported Weinstein was rushed to Bellevue Hospital, where he stayed overnight and still remains.
After being moved to Rikers Island from the Manhattan courthouse following his sentencing, Weinstein began having chest pains and officials decided to hospitalize him “for safety,” a spokesperson for the former executive told the Hollywood publication Variety.
“We appreciate the care and concern of the Department of Corrections officers and staff,” the spokesperson added.
Weinstein’s attorneys pleaded for a minimum five-year sentence for the 67-year-old, arguing that he was in poor health.
“Mr. Weinstein is a sick man,” attorney Donna Rotunno told the judge. “Mr. Weinstein has a multitude of medical issues.”
The judge disagreed and instead handed down a sentence of more than 20 years.
Variety also reported that Weinstein was previously hospitalized for a number of weeks after his Feb. 24 conviction.
After being convicted, he complained of chest pains and was diverted to Bellevue while en route to Rikers Island.
The Weinstein case is seen as a landmark case for the #MeToo movement.
After the sentencing, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance said the sentence “puts sexual predators and abusive partners in all segments of society on notice,” CNN reported.
Allegations about Weinstein’s behavior with women were reported to have gone on for years during his time as one of Hollywood’s elite producers.
A number of Weinstein accusers testified for the prosecution.
Actress Annabella Sciorra described her encounter with Weinstein for the jury during his trial.
“I was punching, I was kicking him, I was trying to take him away from me. He took my hands and put my hands over my head,” she said, according to The Guardian.
“He raped me. I was trying to fight but I couldn’t because he had my hands locked.”
Weinstein, in addition to being a major film producer, was a high-profile donor and friend to a number of influential Democrats, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton.
Weinstein gave Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign roughly $1.4 million, according to the New York Post.
In 2013, former President Barack Obama described Weinstein as “a wonderful human being, a good friend and just a powerhouse” after he and former first lady Michelle Obama hosted the movie mogul at the White House.
After Weinstein was first accused of sexual improprieties in 2017, the former president said, “Michelle and I have been disgusted by the recent reports about Harvey Weinstein,” People reported.
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