Harvey Weinstein files complaint against New York City over 'gulag' conditions at Rikers Island

Attorneys for disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein on Tuesday filed a legal complaint against New York City regarding poor conditions at Rikers Island prison, including poor medical care.

Weinstein, who is serving time at Rikers after he was convicted of sexual assault and rape, has been shuttled between Rikers and Bellevue Hospital in New York City multiple times this year due to ongoing health conditions. He has also been diagnosed with a rare form of bone marrow cancer called chronic myeloid leukemia. 

The document accuses the city and prison of negligently failing to provide the former movie mogul with “timely and adequate” medical care. It also alleged that both parties failed to provide “the most basic human needs,” such as clean clothes and “hygienic living conditions," NBC News reported.

Weinstein’s lawyer Imran Ansari, also compared the conditions in the prison to those of a Russian gulag and claimed that prisoners were treated like animals.

“When I last visited him, I found him with blood spatter on his prison garb, possibly from IV’s, clothes that had not been washed for weeks, and he had not even been provided clean underwear," Ansari said in a statement. "Hardly sanitary conditions for someone with severe medical conditions and susceptibility to illness."

Ansari also claimed the conditions of the prison violate the Eighth Amendment because it constitutes "cruel and unusual punishment."

“We intend to aggressively fight for his rights, and therein, uphold the integrity of our justice system and the values embodied in our constitution," he added.

Weinstein and his legal team are requesting $5 million in damages.

The jailed mogul has denied ever sexually assaulting, abusing, or raping anyone, but has been convicted of rape and sexual assault in a case in California.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.