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Harvey Weinstein Calls Rikers Confinement 'Hell' in Rare Prison Interview

He granted a rare Rikers interview ahead of an April retrial on the Jessica Mann allegation.

Overview

  • From his cell, the 73-year-old says he spends 23 hours a day isolated and avoids the yard because he feels besieged by other inmates.
  • He recounts being punched in the face by a prisoner during a dispute over the phone, describing the jail as a "jungle."
  • Weinstein maintains the encounters at issue were consensual, concedes bullying and abuse of power in Hollywood, and vows he will be exonerated.
  • He reports serious health problems, uses a wheelchair, and says he is afraid of dying in custody.
  • He remains convicted in Manhattan for sexually assaulting Miriam Haley and separately in California with a 16-year sentence, after his earlier New York verdict and 23-year term were vacated.