Harvey Weinstein is Now Closely Monitored; Suspected of Having COVID-19

Former Hollywood producer and former owner of MiraMax studios Harvey Weinstein has reportedly fallen ill with a fever.

The now convicted sex offender and disgraced Hollywood mogul is currently serving a 23-year sentence at Wende Correctional Facility in Erie County, New York.

The 68-year old Weinstein is being closely monitored, according to his representative Juda Engelmayer who talked to USA TODAY on November 17.

Weinstein with COVID-19

Although Engelmayer would not confirm nor deny that Weinstein has tested positive for COVID-91, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC lists fever as one of the common symptoms of the highly contagious coronavirus.

Weinstein was said to have been diagnosed with the virus back in March, according to law enforcement officials.

Engelmayer said that they are currently working with the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision and the excellent team at Wende CF to ensure that Weinstein gets the proper medical attention that he needs inside the correctional facility, according to The Guardian.

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The CDC stated that it is investigation some possible reinfections but has not yet confirmed if there are any. The agency only considers infections more than 90 days apart to be possible reinfections, otherwise a person's illness is likely just a lingering infection.

Weinstein's health

This is not the first time that Weinstein's health was affected while being on trial for his rape and sexual assault cases.

Engelmayer said on November 17 that Weinstein's recent illness should come as no surprise given that the former mogul has numerous maladies and conditions including high blood pressure, spinal stenosis and heart condition.

In February 2020, Weinstein was rushed to a hospital in New York because of high blood pressure. This was shortly after he was convicted of third-degree rape and criminal sexual act in the first degree. During his trial, he was seen using a walker.

Engelmayer told Forbes that Weinstein was on 10 medications and he had a back surgery. Weinstein was certified disabled by medical doctors.

In March 2020, the president of the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association, Michael Powers, confirmed that Weinstein was placed in complete isolation after he tested positive for COVID-19.

Weinstein was once one of the most powerful producers in Hollywood. However, his reputation for being a bully and being abusive followed him, even if it was rarely spoken of publicly it was an open secret in the industry.

In October 2017, The New York Times published a shocking and highly publicized exposes in which dozens of A-list actresses and other named women accused him of appalling sexual misconduct ranging from harassment to groping to rape.

In the following months, a total of 90 women came forward to add their own allegations against Weinstein, as well as many other powerful Hollywood figures. The whole ordeal powered the #MeToo movement to call out sexual misconduct in workplaces.

Immediately after the article came out and after dozens of women came forward, Weinstein's wife filed for divorce and he was fired as the CEO of MiraMax studios. In February 2020, he was convicted for his crimes.