Harvey Weinstein hit with fresh charges as he’s forced to miss hearing while he recovers from emergency heart surgery
DISGRACED movie producer Harvey Weinstein has been indicted on new charges days after he recovers from an emergency heart surgery.
Weinstein, who was rushed from Rikers Island to Bellevue Hospital on Tuesday after experiencing chest pains, did not attend Thursday's court hearing when prosecutors announced the new charges.
Arthur Aidala, Weinstein's attorney, told Judge Curtis Farber his client "almost died" following his recent hospitalization.
The ailing convicted sex offender's health has rapidly declined since his legal troubles began in 2019, his defense team has said.
Details about the impending charges were not disclosed in court.
However, prosecutors said they plan to arraign Weinstein on the new charges at an undetermined date.
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The new charges could stem from a grand jury hearing on September 5, where they heard new evidence from three victims who accused Weinstein of sexual assault, according to CNN.
Two of the alleged assaults occurred between 2005 and 2006, while a third woman claims she was assaulted in 2016, the outlet reported.
AILING HARVEY
Aidala described to the court how his client was hooked up to IVs and an oxygen tank.
"He has sort of a shunt in his chest, which is attached to a bag, which is draining fluids from his body," Aidala said.
The defense attorney said he has spoken to Weinstein since his medical scare, and he plans to attend future court hearings when he recovers.
Aidala said it was unclear how much longer Weinstein will be hospitalized.
The prosecution granted the defense's motion to keep Weinstein holed up in Bellevue Hospital's prison ward after Aidala argued the lack of medical supervision at the notorious jail.
"Inattention at Rikers carries very real risks," Judge Farber said.
"[Weinstein] could find himself again in crisis."
Weinstein's next court hearing is scheduled for September 18.
The shamed Hollywood mogul is slated to be retried on felony sex charges in New York on November 12 after a court of appeals overturned his 2020 conviction.
In April, a New York Court of Appeals ruled Weinstein did not receive a fair trial after the presiding judge testimony from multiple victims who accused the defendant of sexual assault but were not the direct subject of the allegations for which he was on trial.
Weinstein has remained defiant, denying any wrongdoing.
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