Harvey Weinstein's Lawyer Fears Disgraced Mogul Will Die Under Current Jail Conditions, Lack of Treatment

Mar. 15, 2025

Harvey Weinstein appears in court on July 9, 2024 in New York City.Photo:Jefferson Siegel - Pool/Getty

Jefferson Siegel - Pool/Getty

Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer says that the disgraced mogul is being “completely mistreated” while incarcerated at Riker’s Island jail, and fears his client may die if his conditions and treatments don’t improve.

Although the former Hollywood producer’s 2020convictions in New York State for rape and sexual assault were overturned in April 2024, heremains in jail because of his 2022 convictions for sex crimes charges in California.

Nearly two months after reports emerged stating thatWeinstein was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemiaand is receiving treatment in prison, his attorney, Imran H. Ansari, recalled a visit to Riker’s toThe Hollywood Reporter, where he said his client is being “completely mistreated.”

Harvey Weinstein at the 70th Cannes Film Festival on May 23, 2017.YANN COATSALIOU/AFP via Getty

YANN COATSALIOU/AFP via Getty

“He had blood spattered on him. I was shocked to see that any prisoner would be treated that way. He was totally unkempt. The clothes seemed like they were not clean or washed,” Ansari alleged.

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“And he told me he hadn’t been provided clean underwear in two weeks. It seemed like he was being completely mistreated,” he continued while speaking to the outlet, referring to the prison as a “torture chamber or medieval dungeon.”

“It is expected that he will remain there until his condition stabilizes. His deprivation of care is not only medical malpractice, but a violation of his constitutional right,” Ansari shared in a statement to PEOPLE.

“You don’t need to be a doctor to say this, but if you’re not going to get the medical treatment for terminal illnesses like cancer, like leukemia, and it goes unchecked and it’s not treated properly, the inevitable outcome from that is death,” Ansari toldTHR.

Harvey Weinstein appears in court at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center on October 4, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.Etienne Laurent-Pool/Getty

Etienne Laurent-Pool/Getty

In a follow-up statement to PEOPLE on Friday, Dec. 6, Ansari says that he and Weinstein’s legal team hope that Weinstein “who has been suffering from a lack of adequate medical care and enduring deplorable and inhumane conditions on Rikers Island, while suffering from a laundry list of medical issues, is finally provided the medical attention he deserves as a human being.”

“Under our law, and constitution, it should not matter whether an individual is a prisoner or not - basic medical care, humane and civilized treatment is not only expected, it’s mandated,” he said.

In a statement to PEOPLE, a City Hall Spokesperson says, “NYC Health + Hospitals/Correctional Health Services continues to work with the Department of Correction to ensure people in custody have access to high-quality health care on Rikers Island, including individuals who have complex medical and mental health needs. We do not comment on pending litigation.”

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go torainn.org.

source: people.com