Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced Hollywood mogul, begged a New York judge on Wednesday to move up his retrial date. Weinstein, 72, appeared in court in a wheelchair, citing poor health and harsh conditions at Rikers Island jail. “I can’t hold on much longer,” Weinstein told Judge Curtis Farber.
“I want to be out of this hellhole.” He asked for the trial to be moved from April 15 to April 7, saying he wouldn’t “be there” if forced to stay at Rikers Island. Weinstein is facing a retrial for his 2020 sexual assault conviction, which was overturned by the New York Court of Appeals in 2024. The appeals court ruled that the inclusion of testimonies from women unrelated to the charges prejudiced his original trial.
In addition to the retrial, Weinstein was indicted in September on new sex crimes charges alleged by three different victims in New York City.
Weinstein requests date change for retrial
Judge Farber denied Weinstein’s motion to dismiss these new indictments during the hearing.
“We remain confident in a swift and efficient trial process and firmly believe that Harvey will be fully exonerated,” said Juda Engelmayer, Weinstein’s spokesperson, following the hearing. Weinstein was initially convicted in 2020 of third-degree rape and committing a criminal sex act, which included sexually assaulting an actress in 2013 and forcibly performing oral sex on a former production assistant in 2006. This led to a 23-year prison sentence.
In 2022, Weinstein was also convicted in California on charges of raping an actress in a Beverly Hills hotel, resulting in an additional 16-year sentence. He has been temporarily moved to Rikers Island in New York City in preparation for his retrial. Nearly 100 women have accused Weinstein of sexual harassment and assault, with the initial allegations in 2017 sparking the global #MeToo movement.
