MADE TO WAIT
Harvey Weinstein seen for first time since cancer diagnosis as judge spares him from facing 2 trials & delays start date
The trial was originally scheduled to begin on November 12
DISGRACED movie producer Harvey Weinstein has been seen for the first time since his cancer diagnosis was made public as his pending retrial is delayed.
The sex offender is fighting a health battle and fresh charges in the upcoming trial after his pivotal Me Too rape conviction was thrown out in April.
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On Wednesday, Weinstein, 72, was wheeled into a New York courtroom to hear the prosecution's arguments about whether to include a new charge in his retrial.
In 2020, Weinstein was found guilty of forcibly performing oral sex on a film production assistant in 2006 and raping an aspiring actor in 2013.
However, these charges were overturned after the New York Court of Appeals determined the court allowed women not involved in the case to testify about unrelated allegations for the jury.
Now, prosecutors want to include a new charge after alleging that Weinstein forcibly performed oral sex on a third woman in a Manhattan hotel in the spring of 2006.
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In court, Weinstein appeared with his shirt collar and tie askew as he clutched a copy of Conclave by British author Robert Harris, a 2016 novel about cardinals electing a new pope and the basis for an upcoming film of the same name.
The judge ruled to add the new charge, sparing Weinstein from sitting through two trials.
His team was critical of adding the charge, but because of the location and timing of the alleged crime, it was grouped in with the other allegations.
The newest accuser hasn't been named, but her attorney, Lindsay M. Goldblum, said she is prepared to "speak her truth to hold Mr. Weinstein accountable. "
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The retrial was set to start in November, but prosecutors said they need much more time to prepare.
The next hearing has been scheduled for January 29, and April 1 was selected as a tentative start date.
Bandaged Harvey Weinstein, 72, looks frail as he’s wheeled into court after emergency heart surgery to face new charge
HOLLYWOOD HISTORY
Weinstein has maintained his innocence throughout the web of lawsuits and trials he's faced since the dawn of the Me Too movement in 2017.
In recent months, Weinstein's health has become a topic of conversation from the defense as he's been seen using a walker or wheelchair to attend hearings.
Weinstein, who is still serving a 16-year sentence for another rape conviction in Los Angeles, has been moving back and forth from jail on Rikers Island in New York to Bellevue Hospital for ongoing issues.
In early September, he was raced from the prison to get emergency heart surgery, but his lawyers said he was stable after getting the procedure.
How Harvey Weinstein sparked the #MeToo movement
- In October 2017, The New York Times published a bombshell article where numerous actresses alleged abuse at the hands of Harvey Weinstein.
- Soon after, the actress Alyssa Milano asked women who have been sexually assaulted or harassed to share the words "Me Too" on social media.
- The request quickly became a movement - with actresses like Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Lawrence, and Uma Thurman all sharing their harrowing stories.
- It was later revealed that "Me Too" was first used by activity Tarana Burke in 2006 to describe her sexual assault.
- The media firestorm led to many media executives losing their positions, alongside backlash over whether the accusations were being properly investigated.
- Weinstein remained at the center of it all and was one of the few who was hit with criminal charges.
- A top executive who produced films like Pulp Fiction, Shakespeare in Love, and The Lord of the Rings, activist felt he was the perfect representation of how power and influence could be used for evil.
And in July, he had to get emergency lung treatments after he was diagnosed with Covid-19.
Most recently, Weinstein was diagnosed with leukemia, which is a form of bone marrow cancer, according to several reports.
Earlier this week, his team slammed speculation surrounding his health, saying his diagnosis shouldn't be of public interest.
"It is both troubling and unacceptable that such private and confidential health matters have become a subject of public discourse," Craig Rothfeld, Weinstein's prison consultant, told .
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"Out of respect for Mr Weinstein's privacy, we will offer no further comment," he said.
Weinstein continues to fight the slew of charges, and his appeal of the Los Angeles conviction is under review.
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Harvey Weinstein Trial Timeline
- October 2017: The New York Times reports the film mogul, whose Miramax film company won its first Oscar in 1997 for The English Patient, has reached legal settlements with eight women who accused him of sexual harassment spanning over 30 years. He is fired from his company, his wife leaves him, and the #Metoo movement is born.
- May 2018: Weinstein was arrested on charges of rape and a criminal sex act involving alleged assaults of two women.
- June 2018: He pleads not guilty to both charges and a third charge. One of them is eventually dropped.
- December 2019: Weinstein agrees to a $25 million settlement with a number of women who accused him of wrongdoing.
- February 2020: He is sentenced to 23 years in prison in New York for the charges brought against him in 2018.
- December 2022: A jury in Los Angeles convicts him of raping a model.
- February 2023: He receives a 16-year prison term, which runs alongside his New York sentence.
- April 2024: His New York conviction is overturned, and a new trial is ordered.
- September 2024: Weinstein undergoes treatment after contracting Covid and pneumonia.
- September 2024: Weinstein hit with fresh sex charge.
- November, 12, 2024: The proposed date for Weinstein's rape retrial.
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