Harvey Weinstein to Remain at Bellevue Hospital for Now

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For the time being, Harvey Weinstein is still staying at Bellevue Hospital while his trial carries on. The civil court judge delayed making a final call about his stay until a later date, which was Thursday.

Harvey Weinstein is being re-tried for criminal sexual assault and rape charges stemming from accusations made by Haley, a former assistant on the show “Project Runway,” who claims he coerced oral sex at his TriBeCa apartment in 2006, and Jessica Mann, an aspiring actress, who alleges she was raped by Weinstein in a Manhattan hotel in 2013.

Kaja Sokola, a former model and actress, has accused Harvey Weinstein of a new criminal sexual charge, claiming that he compelled her to perform oral sex in 2006.

Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to all charges in the new trial.

Despite being faced with health concerns such as chronic myeloid leukemia, diabetes mellitus, and severe heart disease prior to the trial, Weinstein’s health issues will not be brought up in front of the jury. On April 15, his legal team submitted an urgent petition to move him from Rikers Island to Bellevue Hospital due to these conditions. He has been residing at Bellevue for a few days now and has shown signs of alertness during court appearances over the past two days, also engaging in discussions with his lawyers.

Today, Thursday, was the first complete day of the Weinstein trial, following opening statements given on Wednesday. During this time, prosecutors presented allegations from the three key women involved in the case, characterizing Weinstein’s actions as an abuse of power. Meanwhile, Weinstein’s legal team labeled their interactions as mutually advantageous relationships.

In a court hearing, Elizabeth Entin, a podcast host and writer, who was a friend and roommate of Miriam Haley in 2006 during the filming of “Project Runway,” testified on Thursday. She stated that Haley had disclosed to her in July 2006 that Harvey Weinstein had forcefully kissed her without consent, which Entin described as a potential act of rape and advised her to seek legal help.

During the 2020 trial, I was called to testify too. When asked during cross-examination about claims I gave Weinstein a hostile glance at the trial, I confirmed it was true. You see, he had raped my friend.

Entin stated that this is an exceptionally uncommon circumstance for most people to encounter a rapist directly. He found it extremely fulfilling.

Christine Pressman, a previous actress and model, as well as a good friend of Haley’s, also stated that Haley had disclosed the alleged incident to her while they were both visiting Lorne Michaels’ residence in East Hampton. This was because they both knew producer Michael White.

In my own words, I’d say: “I told him, ‘Harvey Weinstein is the ruler of New York. He’s incredibly influential. You, however, are here as a tourist with limited rights. Maybe it’s best if you just move on,'” and then I broke down in tears while testifying.

On Thursday, Entin was firm during court proceedings when asked to recognize Weinstein in the courtroom and while being cross-examined by Jennifer Bonjean, the defense attorney, who frequently highlighted her media attention following the previous trial amidst a series of sustained objections from prosecutors. Throughout the day, there were ongoing disagreements between the defense team and prosecutors regarding these objections.

The morning saw prosecutors presenting a Getty Images expert to help recognize Weinstein in pictures alongside several notable figures such as Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, and the Queen of England, along with various celebrities, including Gwyneth Paltrow following her Oscar victory for “Shakespeare in Love,” a film Weinstein produced.

On a Wednesday, the initial witness, known as Stefan Sterns, a previous assistant from The Weinstein Company, testified that he escorted Weinstein to the lobby of the Mercer Hotel in New York, where Weinstein was supposed to meet Haley.

The trial is expected to continue Tuesday, and is expected to last four to six weeks. 

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2025-04-25 00:25