Harvey Weinstein opens up on 'hell' existence in first prison interview
Harvey Weinstein is current serving the sixth year of his 23-year sentence for three counts of rape – but has called for his release in the first major interview he’s given behind bars.
The disgraced TV and Film mogul spawned a movement in 2017 when numerous women came forward to accuse him of sexual abuse, creating the #MeToo Hollywood movement.
This saw several brave women first come forward about Weinstein, with more than 80 accusing him of sexual harassment or rape.
Weinstein has been pushing for his early release from prison due to ill health since early 2025, but has been unsuccessful in his calls for a retrial.
Advert
Now, speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, he has opened up about the ‘hell’ he lives in on Rikers island in an interview sure to illicit little sympathy.
Weinstein said that he is in his cell 23 hours a day, only receiving human contact with the guards who will take him outside for half an hour of fresh air in his wheelchair and the nurses checking on his health.
When asked why that’s the case Weinstein said: “Because it’s Rikers Island and it’s hell.
“It was different when I was in state prison. I got up in the morning, I had breakfast, I saw friends, I spoke to people. We all watched TV together.
“I’ve been begging to go to state, but the DA’s office says, ‘Because you have a trial upcoming, you stay at Rikers. We want to keep an eye on you. They kept an eye on me for 19 months now. I don’t know where they think I’m going.”
He went on to say that his ‘celebrity’ status ‘forces him into isolation’. Weinstein claimed that it’s ‘dangerous’ around other inmates for him, recounting how he had been punched in the face by another inmate, saying that he is ‘constantly threatened and derided’.
Despicably, Weinstein accused the scores of women who claimed he sexually assaulted them of lying, saying that they did it because ‘money was involved’ and that ‘all anyone had to do to walk off with a check was fill out a form that said I sexually assaulted them’.
He went on to add: “Did I make a pass at some of these women unsuccessfully? Did I overplay my hand? Yes. Was I pushy or overly seductive? Yes to all of that... But did I ever sexually assault a woman? No. I never did that.”
His disgusting attempts to smear victims continued as he hit out at high profile victims who spoke about their experiences with him.
He said: “I’m just going to say Rose McGowan, Rosanna Arquette, Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie — they just exaggerated.
“They wanted to be victims. They wanted to be part of the club. And they destroyed me.”
The executive also spoke about how he is ‘scared sh*tless’ by the idea of dying in prison, saying: “It’s incredible to have the life that I had and the things that I did for society and not have the leniency to deal with me in a kinder way.
“Whatever they think I did bad in my life, I didn’t get the death penalty. I’m going to be 74 in March. I don’t want to die in here.”
Topics: Harvey Weinstein, Crime, TV and Film, Celebrity
Michael Slavin