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Harvey Weinstein has reportedly tested positive for coronavirus in prison

Just weeks into his 23-year prison sentence, disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein has reportedly contracted coronavirus.

Officials told the press that 68-year-old Weinstein was one of two inmates at Wende Correctional Facility who tested positive for COVID-19 after being transferred to the premises on Wednesday.

Photo: Reuters

Convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein has tested positive for COVID-19 just weeks into his 23-year sentence at a maximum-security prison.

The former producer has now been moved to an isolated part of the already maximum security prison, with prison officials believing that he contracted the virus prior to his arrival. Before his transferral to the facility, Weinstein had been at Rikers Island jail as well as Bellevue Hospital, where he underwent treatment for chest pains.

On February 24th, Weinstein was convicted of first-degree sexual assault and third-degree rape and later sentenced to over two decades in prison.

While allegations had been circulating throughout Hollywood for decades, the extent of Weinstein’s crimes came to the attention of the public after the New York Times published a detailed record of payments Weinstein had made to keep accusers silent, dating back to the ’90s. Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey’s investigative article sparked the groundbreaking #MeToo movement and uncovered hundreds of allegations against the producer. 

Weinstein is still facing four additional charges of rape and sexual assault in Los Angeles, which will potentially extend his sentence for another 28 years.

At this stage, representatives for Weinstein said they were unable to confirm his diagnosis. There are reportedly 37 other inmates in jails around New York who have also tested positive for the virus.