Former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein will be undergoing back surgery this week after he had suffered injuries in a car crash in August, according to a report by IANS.
Weinstein had appeared last Friday for a bail hearing in Court, where he looked weak and fatigued as he walked out of the premises with the help of his assistants. According to Variety, the former head of Miramax and the Weinstein Company, is due in court on Wednesday.
He will be going on a trial on 6 January on five charges of rape and sexual assault. His pale appearance at the court made some media outlets to speculate that he was doing it for sympathy.
Weinstein’s attorney Donna Rotunno, issued a statement on Tuesday saying, “I was dismayed to see all the press coverage incorrectly stating that Mr. Weinstein was trying to garner sympathy at his court appearance last week.”
Prosecutors are seeking to increase Weinstein’s bail from $1 million to $5 million. Rotunno has argued that Weinstein has diligently appeared at all hearings, and should have the ankle bracelet removed.
The allegations of sexual abuse against Weinstein had set off the Me Too movement in 2017 and started a larger debate about women’s safety in the film industry. Weinstein has been the only man to face criminal charges.