Shortly before appearing in court again, renowned Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein spoke about his life in the high-security Rikers Island prison, near New York City.
According to him, the conditions in this prison are much harsher than in the state prison where he was previously held, so much so that he says he begs to be returned there. However, authorities have told him that he cannot be transferred to the less strict institution, as “he must be kept under observation as the trial approaches.”
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the former Hollywood powerhouse, now 73 years old and in a wheelchair, describes life in prison as "hell" and says he lives in isolation.
"I only talk to the guards and the nurses, that's all my company here. There's no socializing at all in my ward, because it's Rikers and it's hell," he said.
His lawyer also stated in December 2024 that his client was being mistreated in the island prison. That same year, in the fall, Weinstein was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia. He also claims to have been a victim of violence inside the prison.
"Once, while I was waiting to use the phone, I asked the person in front of me if he was finished. He got angry and hit me hard in the face. I fell to the floor and was bleeding, it hurt a lot," Weinstein said. "The cops asked me who did it, but I couldn't talk. You can't be a spy. That's the law of the jungle."
He says he misses the other prison he was in before, where – according to him – “I would wake up in the morning, talk to friends and other people, watch TV together.”
Weinstein adds that isolation has become the safest choice for surviving among prisoners as a well-known public figure.
"Here at Rikers, the fact that I'm famous hurts me because it forces me to isolate myself. It's too dangerous for me to be around other people. Other prisoners can go out into the yard, but every time I go outside I feel like I'm under siege. They come up to me and say, 'Weinstein, give me money,' 'Weinstein, give me your lawyer.' They threaten me and mock me constantly. I couldn't stay out there for long," he said.
In June 2025, Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of a sexual assault charge related to a 2006 incident in which he assaulted former television production assistant Miriam Haley. He attempted to appeal the verdict, claiming jury misconduct, but on January 8, the judge dismissed the appeal.
Additionally, in 2022, he was sentenced to 16 years in prison in California after being found guilty of raping an actress at a Beverly Hills hotel. Meanwhile, a retrial is pending on a third sex crime charge involving aspiring actress Jessica Mann.
