Harvey Weinstein begged a Manhattan judge to move up his sexual assault retrial on Wednesday morning, with the disgraced film producer pleading he may not be around much longer due to his poor health.
“I’m in a serious emergency situation. I am begging the court to move your date,” Weinstein said, according to media reports.
Judge Curtis Farber set his next court date for April 15, a week earlier than it was first expected to start. But Weinstein said that is not soon enough. “I won’t be there for April,” he insisted.
Weinstein detailed the health issues he has been dealing with during his rare court appearance, including a recent heart surgery, diabetes and a cancer diagnosis. The 72-year-old former producer also urged the judge to delay another trial that is already on the schedule so he can get out of Rikers Island, which he called a “hellhole.”
“I’m holding on because I want justice for myself, and I want this to be over with,” Weinstein added.
Weinstein rose to Hollywood prominence as the co-founder of Miramax, which produced commercial and critical hits like “Pulp Fiction” and “No Country for Old Men.” His empire came crashing down when he was at the center of the #MeToo movement in 2017, when several actresses accused him of sexual misconduct.
He was sentenced to 23 years in prison in New York in 2020 after being convicted of first-degree criminal sexual act and third degree rape; that conviction was overturned in April 2024.
However, Weinstein was also convicted in Los Angeles in 2022. That conviction carries a 16-year prison sentence and still stands; his attorney filed an appeal of that conviction last June.
