Disgraced Hollywood movie mogul Harvey Weinstein made his first court appearance during a pretrial hearing Wednesday, two days after it was revealed he was battling bone cancer in prison on Rikers Island.
Donning a navy suit, Weinstein, 72, appeared in a wheelchair alongside his attorneys in a Manhattan courtroom for an inquiry on the newest charge he's facing – criminal sex act in the first-degree – which he was slapped with by his latest accuser, in September.
First-degree criminal sex act is when "oral sexual conduct or anal sexual conduct with another person" happens by "forcible compulsion," according to the New York penal code.
Weinstein pleaded not guilty to the charge.
On Monday, sources disclosed the former film producer was diagnosed with a rare form of bone marrow cancer called chronic myeloid leukemia, according to NBC News.
"Out of respect for Mr. Weinstein's privacy, we will offer no further comment," Weinstein's legal health care representative, Craig Rothfeld, told the network.
Weinstein has recently been struck with a flurry of health troubles, including last month's emergency heart surgery, that forced him to miss his indictment on the latest accusation.
Prior to that, he was reportedly battling pneumonia.
Also on Wednesday, Judge Curtis Farber announced he'll allow prosecutors to consolidate the cases involving Weinstein's rape retrial and the newest allegation, giving both sides more time to prepare their arguments.
The rape retrial was initially scheduled for a November start date, but Farber said he'll decide on a new trial date by Jan. 29 given the additional accusation, according to the Associated Press.
The latest charge is separate from the 2020 rape and sexual assault allegations brought against him by aspiring actress Jessica Mann and production assistant Miriam Haley. In April, a Court of Appeals threw out his 23-year prison sentence after a panel of judges ruled unfair testimony from other women who weren't part of the case was permitted, the AP previously reported.
Still, Weinstein is serving 16 years in prison for rape and sex assault in separate cases in California, but a lawyer for the convicted sex offender previously argued those 2022 convictions should also be tossed.
Weinstein has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and vowed any sex was consensual.
